


Jealous of the Stars

by dawnstruck



Category: Kuroko no Basuke | Kuroko's Basketball
Genre: Angst, Fake/Pretend Relationship, Fluff, Humor, Jealousy, M/M, Obliviousness, Pining, 中文翻译 | Translation in Chinese
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-06-29
Updated: 2016-02-25
Packaged: 2018-04-06 19:23:23
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 5
Words: 42,076
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/4233729
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/dawnstruck/pseuds/dawnstruck
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Everything gets a little weird when Kise and Kagami suddenly start dating.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Aomine

**Author's Note:**

> Translation into Chinese available at http://sasadori.lofter.com/post/30b159_109d8e39

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> “Have you ever had something and never really paid attention to it, but then someone else gets to have it, and you're angry?”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Skipping class to study and instead writing fanfiction? Haha, I don't know anyone who would do that. *sweats*  
> I just had this silly idea, but it turned into this huge, slightly angsty thing again. I don't want to give away too much, though, so just check it out for yourself. ;-)

“Hi ~, everyone!” an annoyingly familiar voice calls out and makes Aomine look up, only to see Kise skipping down the street court and coming to a stop in front of the trio.

“Kise-kun,” Tetsu greets and even his bland tone suggests mild surprise. Aomine is less subtle.

“What the hell are you doing here?” he demands to know, and for a moment Kise looks offended, but then he abandons it in favor of a bright smile.

“Kagamicchi invited me,” he relates, and all eyes turn on the redhead.

“What?” Kagami shrugs uncomfortably, “More exciting than always playing against you, Ahomine.”

“Whatever,” Aomine turns away, letting the ball spin on his finger, “I'll defeat all of you anyway.”

 

“He's so good,” Kise gushes as they are taking a break, watching from the sidelines as Kagami keeps shooting some hoops, “And soo handsome.”

At that, both Aomine and Tetsu throw him weird looks, but the model simply laughs it off.

“So?” he defends himself, “I can appreciate beauty other than my own.”

“Kagami-kun is not exactly what one would call a beauty,” Tetsu observes bluntly and Aomine has to agree.

The only thing Kagami really has going for him is his height. Other than that, he is a great, blundering oaf, broad face and weird eyebrows included.

“He has this roguish charm,” Kise chuckles, propping his chin up on his hand and never taking his eyes off Kagami, “Maybe it's because he grew up in America. It's very masculine, don't you think?”

“I think I'm gonna puke,” Aomine pretends to gag, gets up, and prepares himself to give Kagami a thorough basketball beating.

 

“You played so well, Kagamicchi,” Kise praises afterwards though it was Aomine who won by a mile.

“Thanks,” Kagami says awkwardly, either in reaction to the undeserved compliment or to the water that Kise is offering him. Kagami accepts the bottle and takes a swig, but when he puts it down again, Kise is giggling behind his hand.

“What?” Kagami asks, apparently confused.

“Don't you know, Kagamicchi?” Kise teases, his eyes twinkling, “That was an indirect kiss.”

Aomine, who is standing just a little way off, almost loses control of the ball, but luckily no one notices because Kagami is spluttering loudly, his face almost as red as his hair. He takes a moment to calm down, a fist held in front of his mouth at though that would really hide him or his words, “I hope the real thing is better.”

“So mean, Kagamicchi!” Kise gasps and snags the bottle before taking a deep gulp himself, head thrown back and his gaze still locked with Kagami's.

Suddenly, though, Kagami wheezes and clutches his side where he has apparently just been caught by a basketball.

“My apologies, Kagami-kun,” Tetsu says, not sounding sorry at all, “I did not see you there.”

“That's rich, coming from you,” Kagami scoffs, rubbing his sore ribs, “Your passes have gotten really fucking strong.”

“That's because you have been such an inspiration for Kurokocchi,” Kise chimes in, though no one asked for his opinion, “For us all, really.”

“Speak for yourself,” Aomine mutters under his breath and grips the ball a little tighter.

 

After that, Aomine doesn't even think about it again, just goes on with his life.

But everything comes crashing back when he meets Kuroko at Maji Burger, expecting a casual meeting and getting a much more than he bargained for.

“We have to start an intervention,” is what Tetsu opens up with.

“Huh?” Aomine asks eloquently, “What are you talking about?”

“Kise-kun's behavior is getting out of hand,” Tetsu claims and his fingers clench in the fabric of his trousers, “He texts Kagami-kun. All of the time.”

“So?” Aomine scoffs, though he is unsettled by that revelation as well, “He does the same to us.”

“But Kagami-kun reads them,” Tetsu insists tersely, “All of them.”

“What's so weird about that?” Aomine says.

“Are you saying that you always read everything Kise-kun sends you?” Tetsu sounds unconvinced and even slightly judgmental.

“Sure,” Aomine shrugs, suddenly feeling as though he has given away a secret, and unconsciously fingering the outline of his phone in his pocket. Lately, Kise hasn't been texting him as much, and he wonders at that.

“That's beside the point,” Tetsu just shakes his head, “Kagami-kun actually always texts back. And today, I caught him reading one of Kise-kun's magazines.”

“Yeah, he had an interview in Junon Boy,” Aomine recalls.

There's a beat and they stare at each other across the table. Eventually, Tetsu sighs.

“I don't even want to know how you know that,” he says, “The problem, however, is that Kise-kun is monopolizing Kagami-kun's time.”

“Does he still show up for training?” Aomine asks, and Tetsu looks away for a second.

“Yes,” he admits at length.

“Soo,” Aomine tries, squinting, “This isn't about basketball?”

Abruptly, Tetsu stands up, pulling out his phone.

“I'm going to call Midorima-kun,” he informs Aomine, “Thank you for the meeting, but I need someone who can doesn't need everything spelled out for him.”

“No no no!” Aomine waves his hands, forcing him to sit down again, “I get it, I get it. You'd rather be eating burgers with Bakagami than with me.”

“That, too,” Tetsu allows and Aomine really doesn't care for what else Tetsu would like to do with his teammate.

In that moment, and with perfect timing, Tetsu's phone beeps and he glances at it.

“It's from Kise-kun,” he notes and the way he says it sounds vaguely foreboding..

Aomine tilts his head to the side, trying to read off the small screen and upside-down to boot.

_Kurokocchi really didn't exaggerate! Kagamicchi is an amazing cook!_

When Kuroko opens the attached photo, it shows a plate with mouth-watering yakitori that looks so much more appealing than Aomine's soggy burger.

“That is one of Kagami-kun's plates,” Tetsu observes quietly, “On Kagami-kun's dining room table.”

Abruptly, Aomine gets up from his chair.

“Where does that fucker live?” he growls.

 

The first thing that Aomine notices when the door opens is that Kagami is dressed suspiciously nicely, dark jeans and dove-blue henley, his fringe swept back into something resembling an actual hair style.

'He's soo handsome,' Kise had claimed a few weeks ago when Kagami had been stinking with sweat. What would he be saying now?

“Kagami-kun,” Tetsu begins when no one says anything and Kagami doesn't even appear all that surprised the see them, “May we come in?”

Kagami seems to realize that he is standing in the threshold and holding on to the door, effectively blocking the way, but he doesn't step aside.

“Ah,” he says, scratching his cheek and looking apologetic, “Now is sort of a bad time.”

“And why is that?” Tetsu demands unflinchingly.

“I kind of have someone over,” Kagami tries, but Aomine has had enough.

“We know that it's Kise, you idiot,” he barks and pushes past the other boy.

The apartment is big, even bigger considering that Kagami allegedly lives alone, but the living room is right in front of him, with dim light and low music playing, the scent of grilled chicken still lingering in the air.

Kise is leaning back on the couch, so completely at ease that there is almost something vulnerable in his position. The top buttons of his dress shirt are undone, exposing his collarbone, and he's got his fingers running through his hair, playing with the strands.

“Oi!” Aomine bellows and immediately Kise's eyes fly open.

“Aominecchi!” he gasps, sitting up straight and looking as though he had just been caught with his hand in the cookie jar, “Where's Kagamicchi?”

“Who cares?” Aomine snaps, stomping closer, “What the hell are you doing here?”

“Kagamicchi invited me over for dinner,” Kise claims, “We just finished eating.”

“Then why are you still here?” Aomine doesn't even know why he demands an explanation, but a part of him is unbearably angry.

“Oh, you know,” Kise blows his fringe out of his face, “To talk. And stuff.”

“Stuff,” Tetsu has joined them as well and throws a look over his shoulder where Kagami nervously hovering, “Kagami-kun, don't you have a test to study for?”

“Yeah, Kise's helping me study,” the redhead claims, but Tetsu just frowns, “His grades are probably even yours.”

“But I've developed a very effective reward system,” Kise throws him and leans back on the couch, making his shirt right up a little. Aomine finds his gaze drawn toward the exposed strip of skin.

For a long moment, no one says anything. Then Tetsu prompty turns around and makes for the door.

“If you fail, I will never help you with homework again,” he warns Kagami, never even looking back, “Thanks for having me.”

He stomps, legitimately stomps out of the apartment, and Aomine has no choice but to follow.

“Well, that was a bust,” he surmises, tugging at his earlobe. Next to him, though, Tetsu doesn't say anything, just pulls up his shoulders a little and trudges onwards. They part ways without saying anything else, mostly because neither really knows that to think anymore.

 

Aomine had only slept in fits the night before, so now he is half-asleep with his head on his desk. He still cannot help but overhear his classmates' excited conversation.

“Did you see the video Kise-kun uploaded?” one girl asks, “The one where he is singing?”

“Oh yeah,” her friend gives an enamored sigh, “He's just so perfect. I bet there isn't anything he can't do.”

Aomine is used to this kind of topic of girls their age. That's why he never lets on that he actually knows their precious idol. Otherwise they'd never shut up about it. Then again, they don't shut up now either.

“But the other one was hot as well,” the first girl insists, “You know, the one who played the guitar.”

“True! He had a kind of foreign look about him,” another dreamy sigh, “Kise-kun mentioned that he used to live in America, right?”

“It must be so cool to hang out with such amazing people.”

They titter on, but Aomine is no longer listening. Underneath his desk, he pulls out his phone, plugs in his earphones and pulls up Kise's Twitter feed. Sure enough, the latest entry links to a video. It's sort of grainy and the audio quality isn't exactly great, but it immediately becomes obvious that it had been filmed inside of Kagami's apartment.

“Hi, everyone!” Kise's face comes into view, waving at the camera, the recording phone probably propped up against something and offering a view of the living-room.

“My friend Kagamicchi and me came up with something special to share with you today,” Kise explains and then he is tugging Kagami into the frame. Kagami looks rather wooden and uncomfortable, not really looking at the camera, and his fingers clench around the acoustic guitar he is holding.

“Kagamicchi used to live in L.A. and that's where he learned how to play the guitar,” Kise informs brightly, man-handling Kagami they are both seated on the floor, sitting next to each other, “Today he showed me a beautiful song, so I really just wanted to perform and share it with you.”

Another of those blinding smiles, head tilted to the side, in that manner that Aomine knows has been perfected for the spotlight, but then Kise is already giving Kagami his cue and Kagami's thick, stupid basketball fingers start plucking the strings.

Kagami isn't a prodigy, whether musical or otherwise, but Aomine has to admit that he plays decently enough. A few chords in, Kise's voice joins him.

He's singing in English, his lips shaping around the foreign words, and Aomine is abysmal in regards to anything even remotely to do with studying, but even he can pick out choice vocabulary such as 'love' and 'forever'.

His blood starts to boil at the thought of Kise and Kagami sitting together for hours in order to practice for this stupid video, wonders why Kagami would even show Kise a love song in the first plays, and whether it happened before of after he and Tetsu showed up. Judging by the darkness outside of the Kagami's windows in the video, the recording only happened much later.

Aomine feels sick, but he keeps staring down at the screen in his hand, listening to Kise's melodious voice, going from anguish to bliss to anguish again. At what Aomine assumes to be the chorus, Kagami joins in, lower and gruffer, adding even more emphasis to the feelings and an unusual contrast to Kise's more polished voice. Still, Aomine wouldn't have pecked the big idiot to be an ok singer, and this discovery makes him terribly mad for some reason.

The song comes to a finish, the last chords falling away. Kise claps enthusiastically, thanks both Kagami and his fans, and then cuts off the video.

Aomine bites his tongue, contemplating on what to do. The phone is still in his hands, so he sends off a quick text to Tetsu.

_Check your phone._

When Tetsu finally answers, class has already started, but Aomine checks the message anyway.

He doesn't even know what he expected, but it's certainly not Tetsu bluntly informing him that, _Kagami-kun had a hickey today._

“Fucking shit!” Aomine yells square through the room, making his classmates jump and his teacher punish him with cleaning duty for the rest of the week.

 

That weekend, Touou has a training match against Seirin, and Aomine only tags along because he wants an excuse to make Kagami cry in front of everyone.

Harasawa, though pleased that Aomine is finally always participating in training, does not seem surprised that he would be looking forward to playing against the team that defeated them last year.

“But Seirin's coach probably won't waste their trump card on a mere training match,” he warns Aomine when they are getting off the bus, “So you're not playing either.”

“Yeah yeah,” Aomine shrugs, already making mental plans on beating Kagami up behind the gym.

When they get there, Harasawa and Seirin's coach exchange polite greetings, while Wakamatsu and the other Captain engage in some male posturing, all under the pretense of wishing each other a good game.

Aomine looks for Kagami in the crowd, but what he finds instead is, surprisingly, Tetsu whose teammates are giving him a wide berth because he is exuding a glowering aura.

“Let's start with the warm-up, everyone!” Seirin's coach instructs then and her voice is so authoritative that even Touou follows the order, no words from Harasawa needed.

Five minutes later, while Sakurai is furiously apologizing for existing, the real reason for Aomine's bad mood comes jogging in from outside. He doesn't look like he'd actually been running, but he's still sort of flushed red, his hair disheveled, and avoiding everyone's eyes as he awkwardly apologizes for being late.

But Seirin's coach stares him down, her eyes narrowing. By now, most of the others have stilled their warm-up in order to watch the display.

“I know that look,” she says slowly, suspiciously, crossing her arms in front of her chest, “That's 'catching a quick make-out behind the gym' #4!”

“No!” Kagami objects at once, frantically waving his arms about, “I wasn't! I was just- uh- talking to the janitor.”

“I don't care who your boyfriend is, Kagami,” the girl huffs and turns away, “Don't let your love life impact our training.”

Kagami is bright red, and the rest of the boys snicker, obviously amused at the fact that their socially awkward ace would even have a love life in the first place.

Tetsu is the only one not laughing.

When the match finally starts, it's mostly just an opportunity to let the regular bench-warmers have some fun, give the first-years a feel for the game. Neither Touou nor Seirin are willing to give away what they have been working on since the Winter Cup, especially since Harasawa has been planning to blow everyone away with their recently developed team play.

Throughout the first half of the game, Aomine is glaring across the court, hoping that Kagami will feel it in shivers running down his spine. The blockhead, however, probably seems to think that most of the malign intent is coming from Tetsu who's sitting at the other end of the bench.

He's not ding much of anything, not watching the game, not gritting his teeth or clenching his fists, but everyone else keeps sending him nervous looks and inching away. Then again, on Touou's side, the others are doing the same to Aomine.

The moment half-time begins, an unexpected guest comes sauntering into the gym, quickly turning heads by the simple way of how he looks, how he holds himself.

“Kise!” Seirin's coach calls out as though this were a common occurrence, “What are you doing here again?!”

But Kise just shrugs off-handedly, offering her a charming smile, “I had a shoot in the area.”

“Are you gathering intel on us?” she demands to know, not deterred in the slightest, and standing up on her tiptoes so she can better glare at him. At that, however, Kise gets unexpected support that seems to surprise everyone else.

“It's alright, Coach,” Kagami tells her, “Just let the pretty boy stay.”

For a long moment, she looks at him, and then at Kise. Aomine can practically see how she is connecting the dots in her head.

“Fine,” she says at length, “He can stay. But only if he promises to arrange a match with Kaijo.”

“Already talked to Coach Takeuchi about it,” Kise trills as though playing against Seirin were the best thing in the world. Then he starts tugging Kagami away and towards the bench.

“You have to take good care of your body, Kagamicchi,” Aomine can still hear him say, “Let me give you a massage.”

He didn't even play, Aomine thinks in outrage, but from this side of the court he can only watch as Kise kneels down between Kagami's legs and starts massaging his calves.

Back at Teiko, when they had still been a team, Aomine had known what Kise's hands felt like on his skin. Kise was always watching him, anticipating every reaction, and always knowing just how to dig in his fingertips and the heels of his hands. He'd massage Aomine's shoulders and help him stretch, readily offering water, lemon slices, and eager praise.

Back then, Aomine had taken it all for granted. Now, as Kise is bestowing this same treatment on someone else, he cannot help but feel like he has lost against Kagami once more.

 

Aomine passes the match with watching as Kise and Kagami sit much too close, Kise chatting animatedly and Kagami answering in a more hesitant manner. He doesn't look reluctant, though, just carefully taking his time to properly think over every answer, as though the conversation were very important to him.

Aomine, however, is not the only one who's being excluded. Kise had not really spoken to Tetsu, apart from a casual greeting in the beginning. Yet Aomine hadn't even gotten that.

After the game, Tetsu is suddenly standing in front of him.

“I require Aomine-kun's assistance,” he says without preamble, “Please tell your team to leave without you.”

The teams disappear in their respective locker rooms, and Aomine is glad that he only has to shrug out of his jersey and slip back into his uniform. Then he gives Satsuki and Harasawa a quick headsup that he is staying.

Harasawa seems unbothered, but Satsuki is leveling him with a hard stare. She had been busy analyzing the match and Seirin's new players before, but now she takes her time to focus her entire powers of judgment upon her best friend.

“Don't you dare make Ki-chan unhappy,” she warns him, “Not now. Not again.”

Aomine has no idea what she means by that, so he just waves her off, and goes to find Tetsu.

Instead, he finds Kise.

“I'm just waiting for Kagamicchi,” the other informs him, “We wanted to go get popsicles.”

“Alone?” Aomine demands, clearly remembering when it had still been him who had dragged Kise along to buy popsicles after training.

“Well,” Kise says, clearly reluctant, “I guess you and Kurokocchi could tag along.”

“What a generous offer,” Tetsu's voice suddenly comment dryly, and the two boys look over at him, “But shouldn't models be mindful of their calorie intake?”

“So mean!” Kise says and laughs, obviously choosing to take it as a joke instead of the thinly veiled insult it actually was.

In that moment, Kagami finally leaves the locker room as well.

“Kagamicchi!” Kise calls out, feigning hurt, “Kurokocchi is calling me fat!”

“Huh?” Kagami's confused eyes flicker between Tetsu and Kise, seeming confused.

“Do you think I'm fat?” Kise asks, making a show of comically sucking in his gut and blowing up his cheeks. Kagami just mumbles something and looks away.

“What was that, Kagamicchi?” Kise asks curiously, blinking pretty eyes on him.

“I said you're fine as you are,” Kagami repeats more loudly

A slow grin spreads over Kise's face, flirty and endlessly pleased.

“I have to say, you're not so bad yourself, Kagamicchi,” he purrs, sidling closer.

To his own surprise, it's not Aomine who finally has had enough, but Tetsu.

“Kise-kun,” he says, his tone tightly controlled, “Please refrain from trying to wrap Kagami-kun around your finger.”

“But, Kurokocchi,” Kise feigns innocence, “I just want to be friends with him.”

“I know what your attempts are making friends look like,” Tetsu reminds him, and Aomine cannot help but feel that he means more than what he is actually saying, “And it won't succeed here either.”

Kise's smile looks more brittle now, but he firmly keeps it in place. Then, as if to prove a point, he settles a hand on Kagami's shoulder, “But I guess I already have.”

Kagami, for one, looks uncomfortable, but less because of the hand on him, and more like a hapless civilian caught between the front lines of a war.

“Kise-kun has always been an attention seeker,” Tetsu points out, and his voice is as icy as his gaze, “To make up for everything he lacks.”

Something flickers across Kise's face at that, but it's so minuscule, there and gone again, that Aomine cannot even name it. A split second later, Kise's smile fits itself back into place, but it looks sharper now and strained.

“Not everyone likes to fade into the background all of the time,” he says and the way he combs his hair back almost manages to distract from the implied insult.

Tetsu is seething. Outwardly, it's barely noticeable, but Aomine has been friends with him long enough to know that this sort of anger is not only extremely rare but also very destructive.

Someone has to intervene before irreparable damage is done.

“Don't mind him, Tetsu,” he drawls, turning away slightly in order to feign disinterest, “He's just a pretty face. It's not like anyone's actually gonna be interested in him.”

The moment the words leave his mouth, he realizes that, just like that, he has done exactly the kind damage he had been trying to avoid.

Kise reels back slightly, his eyes growing wide and watery. His entire body tenses up, but then he juts his chin forward and glares defiantly.

“At least I do have a pretty face,” he says and smiles again, yet it's not pretty at all. He turns around on his heel and marches out of the gym without looking back.

“That was unnecessary, Aomine-kun,” Tetsu admonishes, but then Aomine is suddenly roughly pushed against the wall as Kagami slams into him and grabs him by the collar.

“You bastard,” Kagami growls into his face, “Kise is a better guy than you could ever hope to be!”

Before Aomine can retort or even physically fight back, Kagami has already let got of him, jogging towards the door with the obvious intent of going after Kise.

“Are you alright, Aomine-kun?” Tetsu asks as soon as he is gone, and Aomine fixes his shirt, baring his teeth.

“Splendid,” he bites out and hates himself a little.

 

Tetsu and Aomine don't talk as they leave the gym together. There's nothing much to say anyway. Everything has gone to shit and Aomine can't even figure out why it all happened to quickly.

Without warning, Tetsu stops dead in his tracks. Aomine expects him to say something after all, but Tetsu is just staring off into the distance, so Aomine follows his gaze. What he sees makes his guts churn.

Kise is sitting by the fence that surrounds that school grounds, knees drawn out against his chest and arms hugged around them, and with Kagami crouching, next to him. They appear to be talking quietly, Kagami leaning in close so he can better hear. Aomine finds himself wishing that he could hear, too, but then something unexpected happens.

Without a warning, Kise tilts his chin up and kisses Kagami square on the mouth. It's a small kiss, still more than a peck definitely, more lingering than that, so it's a kiss nevertheless and Aomine's fists clench by his side.

From this far away he can't see much, but then the two are pulling apart, both looking startled and red in the face. Kise seems to give little laugh, brushing a hand through his hair and not looking at Kagami, as though embarrassed.

But then Kagami is putting his arm around Kise, pulling him closer, so their shoulders are touching. Somehow it's even more intimate than the kiss, and it lasts longer, too, neither boy pulling away and just remaining in each others' space.

“Come, Aomine-kun,” Tetsu says monotonously and then trudges onwards towards the gates, “We are no longer needed here.”

Aomine's feet follow, but his heart stays behind, beaten and a little bit broken, too.

 

Aomine's mother is used to his taciturn moods, even if they have gotten less frequent and less severe in the past few months. What she seems more surprised by is how he decides to break his usual silence that night.

“Kaa-san,” he begins, hunched over his dinner and miserable, “Have you ever had something and never really paid attention to it, but then someone else gets to have it, and you're angry?”

If his mother is caught off guard by the topic, she doesn't let it on.

“Yes,” she says with a simple smile, “And you have, too. Remember that skateboard we bought for you and that you never used because you were so focused on basketball?”

Dumbly, Aomine shakes his head.

“We wanted to give it to your cousin, but you threw a fit, so we let you keep it,” she chuckles, “It should still be in the garage somewhere.”

“What exactly am I supposed to get from that story?” Aomine wants to know, frowning and confused.

“Possession is not the same as love,” she tells him, “Sometimes, the things we want are no longer the ones we truly deserve. I think your cousin would have really enjoyed that skateboard, and now it's probably all old and rusty. Wouldn't it have been better to let him have it?”

Aomine doesn't answer, just keeps picking at his food.

When they have eaten and his mother disappears in the kitchen, he offers to take out the trash and then goes to search through the garage. Half an hour plus several cobwebs, scratches and hurt fingers later, he finally finds what he was looking for.

As soon as he lays eyes on the skateboard he does remember it. Remembers letting it sit around in the driveway for days until kaa-san mentioned giving it to his cousin. Remembers complaining that it was his and skating off towards the park. Remembers only playing basketball there and almost forgetting the thing, and that Satsuki had to take it home for him.

Remembers never touching it again.

Now he carries the skateboard up to his room and cleans it with a damp rag. The colour design on the underside is a little bit faded, and the wheels are too rackety to use without some serious risk, but it's still in a good shape.

It's just his size, too, and his parents had probably hoped that he would grow into it, would learn to love it just as he loved basketball.

Well, he thinks, running his fingers over the design, a roaring black panther against a full moon night sky. Better late than never.

 

On Tuesday, Aomine gets a text from Tetsu.

_Are you free this Saturday?_

_I guess,_ he types back, _What for?_

 _Kagami-kun is throwing a party at his place,_ and, apparently in an afterthought, Tetsu adds, _Kise-kun will be there._

Aomine doesn't have to think twice.

 _I'm in,_ he promises Tetsu, baring his teeth in anticipation of the weekend, _We're ending this once and for all._

 

When they meet at the corner on Saturday night, Aomine cannot help but eye Tetsu's appearance.

“Is that shirt new?” he asks because that's definitely not Tetsu's usual proper but unremarkable style. Instead, it's a clash of colors, vibrant and loud, graffiti style words emblazoned across the chest, though Aomine can't make out what they read, the letters Roman and much too stylized.

“Possibly,” Tetsu says evasively, and when he gives Aomine a once-over in return, he doesn't comment. Aomine finds himself rather grateful for that. Both his white tank-top and his dark jeans are rather tight, the latter biting into his crotch uncomfortably. At home, he has spent half an hour trying different outfits, and this one had seemed like the best. Now he isn't so sure.

Tetsu also doesn't ask about the band aid across Aomine's cheekbone or the bandage around his left wrist.

“Aomine-kun,” he says instead when they come to a stop outside of Kagami's building, “What are we going to do?”

“Huh?” Aomine tries for nonchalance, “What do you mean?”

But just looks at him, his eyes hoping and _hurt_ , and Aomine feels awful.

“Fuck, I don't know, Tetsu,” he lightly kicks the door with his toes, letting his head hang, “I mean, what are we even trying to achieve here?”

Because up till now, they hadn't talked about it. They had just superficially shared their mutual discontent over the fact that Kise and Kagami seemed to be spending most of their time with each other. That they wanted to be with each other, in more than just one way.

But to admit just why the idea of that felt so horribly wrong was an altogether different matter.

“I am in love with Kagami-kun,” Tetsu confesses without shame, “And I want him to be with me instead of Kise-kun.”

Aomine swallows hard, not quite liking where this is going, even though he had been thinking along these lines as well.

“So what?” he asks, “You want to break them up?”

“Don't you?” Tetsu asks calmly, reminding them both that Aomine is not only here to act as Tetsu's support.

“Fuck,” Aomine curses again, “I don't know. I mean, if they are happy together, then maybe we should...”

“Just accept it?” Tetsu finishes and purses his lips, “I have to admit that I am disappointed. I did not think that Aomine-kun had developed such a masochistic inclination towards losing.”

And with that, he rings the doorbell.

Figures, Aomine thinks. You don't play on Kuroko Tetsuya's team and then just give up without a battle.

They are buzzed in, and when they make their way up the stairs the door to Kagami's apartment is already ajar, upbeat music streaming into the hallway.

“Thanks for having us,” Kuroko says when they enter, though no one's really within earshot.

“There you are, Kuroko!” someone greets them from the side, but it's just Seirin's center, offering them a welcoming smile, “Kagami was worried whether you'd show up at all.”

At that, Tetsu is both visibly pleased and relieved, but he just offers his upperclassman a small smile, “Thank you, Kiyoshi-senpai. I will go greet him at once.”

“By the way, food and drinks are in the kitchen,” Kiyoshi informs them, “Most has been prepared by Kagami, so it's fine to eat. Just don't touch the muffins.”

“Coach?” Tetsu asks and the other nods with a crooked smile, “Furihata had one. He still hasn't come out of the bathroom.”

“Sounds like Satsuki,” Aomine huffs, amused. Tetsu, however, seems a little chagrined, even as they make their way towards the living-room.

“The first time we had a team meeting here, I was considering to tell Kagami-kun,” Tetsu doesn't have to specify what he means, “But our coach accidentally poisoned us and I passed out before I could say anything. Afterwards, I could never muster the courage again.”

He sounds frustrated and slightly sad, “I don't have any more time to spare, Aomine-kun.”

The find Kagami in the living-room. Unfortunately, Kise is right by his side, always the life of the party. Right now he seems to be entertaining Seirin's remaining third-years with stories about Midorima's eccentrics.

“And then he told the principal, 'Murasakibara ate my lucky item'!” he finishes, leaving everyone in stitches.

“That's nothing,” Aomine chimes in, and all eyes turn on him, “One time, his lucky item of the day was a gravure magazine, but he didn't dare to go buy one. So he asked for one of mine, but I wouldn't give it to him for free. Guess who did all of my homework for the rest of the week?”

The laughter errups again, but Aomine only has eyes for Kise who smiles but seems uncertain.

No surprise there, Aomine thinks, recalling how they parted way at Seirin a week ago.

“Good evening, Kagami-kun,” Kuroko says in that moment, dragging Kagami's attention away from where he had previously been listening to Kise's stories as well, “Thank you for your invitation.”

“The more the merrier,” Kagami replies, though the look he gives Aomine is stormy. But when his gaze finds back to Tetsu he smiles.

“Nice shirt,” he compliments, tapping a finger against Tetsu's chest and reading the script, “Where'd you-”

Suddenly he breaks off and turns away, hunched over. Quickly, though, it becomes apparent that he is just choking on a violent laugh.

“Are you alright, Kagami-kun?” Tetsu asks and worriedly rubs his back, but that only makes the idiot laugh harder.

“Kuroko,” Kagami wheezes, tears in his eyes and barely managing to get the words out, “Next time you buy a shirt with something written on it, make sure you know what it actually says.”

Tetsu glances down at himself, uncertain, but then Kise is already leaning down, thoughtfully putting a finger to his lower lip and translating out loud.

“Let's see,” he hums, “'Chicken Asshole Gangbang Highway Rock 'n' Roll. - Yes, it definitely suits Kurokocchi's personality.”

That, finally, makes everyone laugh. Even Aomine cannot help himself, holding his stomach, even though Tetsu is obviously mortified enough to want to disappear. For once, though, his misdirection techniques do not seem to be working.

Red-faced and with all the attention focused on him, he is finally rescued by Kagami.

“Sorry,” the redhead says, though there is still a grin dangling on the corner of his mouth, “I shouldn't have pointed it out.”

“It's quite alright,” Tetsu absolves him of all guilt, “Better you than someone who might actually make fun of me.”

At that, Kagami's smile grows more earnest and he claps Kuroko on the shoulder, “Come on. Let's see whether we can't find you something more appropriate to wear. Otherwise I'll just keep laughing whenever I look at you. Maybe Alex has something your size.”

“I do not wish to wear women's clothing, Kagami-kun,” Tetsu tells him.

“I figured, but she sometimes just wears old band shirts and jerseys and stuff,” Kagami points out, “Those should fit you just fine.”

“Please just give me one of your shirts, Kagami-kun,” Tetsu implores the wording of that request finally makes Kagami relent.

“O-okay,” he stammers, “Just... let's have a look through my dresser and you can pick something out.”

Together they wander off, probably into the direction of Kagami's room.

Finally, for the first time in weeks, Aomine has a chance to catch Kise alone.

Or so he thought.

Because in the split second that Aomine wasn't looking, Kise has wandered off again.

Story of my life, he thinks and follows after.

The story has gotten quite lively now and there are more people than Aomine would have expected. For example, Murasakibara is there, probably because of the free food, and that teammate of his is sitting in between him and the foreign woman Aomine has seen around at Seirin's games.

Kise has found his way towards them and says something, giving them a thumbs up, but when Aomine steps closer he just catches the tail end.

“-gonna check on them,” he winks and then crosses the room, into the direction of where Kagami and Kuroko just disappeared.

“It's really time Taiga found himself a special someone,” the woman says wistfully, taking a swig of her drink, “I think he's really in love with that boy, you know?”

The dark-haired boy - Hiro or Himuro or something – rolls his eyes, “Though I have no idea what he sees in someone like that.”

All of a sudden, Aomine can feel his anger flare up.

“Fuck you!” he snaps, jabbing a finger at the other teen, “Kise is the best, okay!”

Three pairs of eyes blink up at him, confused.

“Nee, Minechin,” Murasakibara drawls, strawberry pocky sticking out between his lips, “You're really stupid, aren't you.”

But Aomine is already twirling around and stomping away, intent on finding Kise, though he doesn't know his way round the apartment. Down the hallway, he checks various rooms, though most are empty. One door is locked, but there are violent retching noises coming from within, and Aomine recalls the mention about the guy with the muffin.

The last door, at the far end of the corridor, however, just a tiny bit ajar, a sliver of light coming through. There are no voices, though, and something about that makes Aomine slow down, his sock-covered feet padding across the polished wood.

He doesn't knock, but he also doesn't open the door all the way either. Instead, he just pushes it open a tiny bit more, just enough so that he can peer in.

He half-hopes, half-expects to see Kise picking out the best clothing option out of Kagami's wardrobe, advising Tetsu on style and colors and such nonsense. But Kise isn't in the room at all.

Instead, Kagami is sitting on the edge of the bed, his knees spread just far enough that Tetsu can stand between them. Like this, they are almost at eye level, Kagami having to look up just the tiniest bit.

Tetsu has a ridiculously huge shirt hanging on him, unbuttoned and slipped down to his elbows so that his pale shoulders are exposed.

But the thing that makes Aomine's heart stop is that the two of them are kissing.

Kagami's hands are on Tetsu's hips while Tetsu curls slim fingers into red hair, both pulling each other closer, kissing and kissing and no coming up for breath.

Half a second later, Aomine has violently pushed the door open and crossed the room, pushing Tetsu aside and socking Kagami in the face before anyone really knows what's happening.

“You fucking bastard!” Aomine thunders, even as Kagami falls back against the mattress and cradles his aching cheek, “You've been with Kise for a week and then you're already cheating on him?!!”

“What the hell, Aomine-” Kagami howls, but before he can say anything more, Aomine has already turned around again, and is dashing out of the room, leaving the cheating bastard in Tetsu's tender care.

“Kise!” he calls over the beat of the music, finding his way to the kitchen where a bunch of Seirin's third-years are leaning against the counter, “Where is Kise?”

“He just left a couple of minutes ago,” the goofy one answers readily, “We ran out of ice and he offered to get some from the supermarket.”

“Fuck!” Aomine curses, biting his lower lip, because there is only one explanation for this.

Kise had gone to check on Kagami and Tetsu, only to find his new boyfriend making out with his old mentor. No wonder Kise would have fled the party after that.

And Aomine is unbelievably angry at Kagami, but at Tetsu, too, for being so thoughtless. Especially after last week.

'He's just a pretty face,' his own words echo hollowly through his mind, 'It's not like anyone's actually gonna be interested in him.'

“Fuck!” he yells again and makes towards the front door.

“It's just ice!” Seirin's third-year calls after him, worried, “No need to get so upset!”

But Aomine is already out of the flat and jumping down the stairway.

“Come on, Shin-chan,” he hears someone cheer from below, “Let's party.”

“I do not wish to party, Takao,” Midorima answers, “Oha Asa said that private gathers will only cause unnecessary drama.”

They are standing in front of the entrance and as soon as Aomine comes into view, Midorima pulls his teammate aside to make way.

“He went left,” Midorima says, pushing his glasses up with a sigh.

Aomine gives no direct indication of having heard him, but when he's outside the door, he makes a sharp left turn.

“Good luck!” he can hear the short one call, followed by Midorima's more subdued, “I told you there would be drama.”

But then Aomine is already running at full speed.

He has no idea what he is planning to do, only that he needs to find Kise, needs to apologize. Everything else will have to wait.

Soon enough, a lone figure comes into view, just down the road and walking at a leisured pace.

“Kise!” he yells as loudly as he can, and to his relief Kise doesn't just hear but actally stops and waits for him to catch up.

“Aominecchi,” he says and tilts his head in confusion, “Is there something else we need? You could've just called.”

“I need-” Aomine tries, catching his breath, “I need to apologize. No, wait. I want to apologize.”

Kise frowns, “What for?”

“For being an asshole,” Aomine explains, “Last Saturday. And all the other times.”

“Oh,” Kise gives a little startled laugh, “It's okay. I'm used to that.”

He says it casually, as though it were no big dig, and a sharp pain zaps through Aomine, wondering just how many times he has hurt Kise without ever really noticing.

“I'm not... good... with all that stuff,” he says, worrying at his lip, “At friendship and feelings and whatever. So when I'm confused, I get angry.”

Kise chuckles, amused, “It's not like I can judge, of course, but I think we both know you were never much of a thinker.”

“Yeah,” Aomine kicks at the pavement, already feeling himself run out of words, “And... I'm sorry you had to witness that just now.”

“Hm?” Kise blinks, “Witness what.”

“You know,” Aomine says uncomfortably, “The kiss.”

“Oh yeah,” Kise snorts, “Could've done without that. Apparently their team already had a bet running on when they would finally get together.”

“What?” Aomine reels back, “That's fucked up.”

“Well, Teppei used to date Riko, and Hyuuga is his best fried,” Kise shrugs, “So they have his blessings.”

“Wait,” Aomine holds up a hand, “Seirin's coach and captain?”

“Yeah,” Kise nods, “I found them making out in the broom closet before you arrived. Actually, I think they might still be in there.”

“What the fuck,” Aomine pulls a disgusted face, “No, I'm talking about Tetsu and Bakagami.”

“Oh,” at that Kise's smile widens, “I know, right? Isn't that wonderful?”

Aomine cannot help but squint at him, “You're happy you just got cheated on?”

“Silly me,” Kise slaps a fist into his open palm, “I totally forgot. You probably thought I was really dating Kagamicchi.”

It takes Aomine to work through that.

“So you... weren't?” he concludes uncertainly.

“Of course not,” Kise laughs as though the mere notion were absurd, “It was just a ploy to make Kurokocchi jealous.”

Aomine stares.

“That's the stupidest thing I have ever heard,” he manages finally, but Kise just shrugs, the look on his face enigmatic, “It word, didn't it?”

“Why the hell would you get involved in something like that?” Aomine wants to know, because his brain is still catching up with the fact that Kise is actually single.

“Kagamicchi was just miserable, always pining after Kurokocchi,” Kise explains easily, “I just wanted to help.”

But there are still pieces that don't fit, pieces that make Aomine think that the situation isn't quite as simple as Kise would like to make him believe.

“Then why did you kiss him?” he prods, eyes narrowing at the unpleasant memory.

But Kise seems honestly confused, “Huh? What do you mean?”

“Last week, at Seirin,” Aomine reminds him, wondering how he could've possibly forgotten, “You were kissing Kagami.”

Instantly, Kise's eyes widen and he starts stammering, “You- you saw that?”

“Yeah. And apparently you didn't want anyone to see,” Aomine huffs, crossing his arms, ”Doesn't quite fit into your whole scheme, does it?”

“That was just a... misstep on my part,” Kise claims, but seems more evasive than embarrassed now, “I already apologized to Kagamicchi.”

“Then why did you do it in the first place?” Aomine wants to know because in his book people didn't just go around kissing other people.

“I just... needed an impromptu pick-me-up,” Kise is playing with his hair again and Aomine recalls now that it's a nervous habit whenever he's out of his depth and vulnerable, “I guess I was just feeling a bit unappreciated, and then Kagamicchi was being so nice, and... well.”

That... actually kind of makes sense. Even if it means that Aomine's meanness was what caused Kise to kiss someone else. But Kagami is probably busy kissing Tetsu now, so he's got that working for him.

“So,” Aomine says, fiddling with the bandage around his wrist, “Assuming I try to be nicer to you as well from now on... is there a chance you might kiss me, too?”

Against his expectations, though, Kise's face suddenly closes off and he takes a step back, turning away.

“Don't worry,” he says, and as if someone had turned a switch, his voice is hollow and expressionless, “You have nothing to fear from me.”

He makes to walk away again, but luckily Aomine is quick enough to catch him by the hand.

“Dammit,” Aomine growls, wiping at his eyes and so incredibly angry at himself, “No matter what I try to say, it always comes out wrong.”

“Please let go, Aominecchi,” Kise says, trying to tug himself free, “You are hurting me.”

Possession is not the same as love, Aomine recalls what his mother had said, so he uncurls his fingers and lets go.

“Thank you,” Kise mumbles, pulling his hand against his chest and rubbing the sore wrist, but he doesn't look up.

But Aomine also remembers what Tetsu had said, barely half an hour ago, about the dangers of letting the right moment pass, only to belatedly realize that it might have been the only one.

“I'm in love with you,” Aomine says quickly, like ripping off a band aid, and kisses Kise.

But Kise is still half-turned away from him and jerks back in surprise, so Aomine's lips land somewhere near his ear, Kise's hands caught between them in a defensive move.

“W-what?!” Kise stumbles over the word, eyes impossibly wide, “Aominecchi?”

But Aomine's got his arms around him now, and he dearly hopes that the situation is not too reminiscent of Kise's kiss with Kagami, lest he draw the wrong conclusion yet again.

“I'm in love with you, Kise,” he says again, ignoring how his cheeks are burning, “Have been for a while, I guess. And... it's not just jealousy, okay. I don't just want you so that Kagami can't have you. I actually, really... love you. Fuck.”

There are probably more eloquent love confessions or more smoothly delivered ones, but that's all Aomine can manage right now. And it seems to be enough for Kise.

“Aominecchi,” he repeats, swallowing. His gaze falls down to Aomine's lips, as though only now realizing how close they are.

“Can I kiss you again?” Aomine asks, having accepted that it is probably saver instead of just lunging forward again.

Kise doesn't tell him yes, though. Kise dips his head forward and kisses him on the lips.

Nice, Aomine thinks valiantly, trying to keep his cool, but on the inside he melts a little.

They stand at the side of the road like that, just embracing and exchanging little pecks.

Eventually, Kise laughs, letting his forehead fall against Aomine's shoulder.

“What?” the taller boy wants to know when the chuckles won't subside.

“It's just so funny,” Kise whispers into his ear, “That all this time Kagamicchi and I were tring to make Kurokocchi jealous, but then we made ended up making you jealous as well.”

“Can't complain,” Aomine says and then echoes Kise's previous words, “It worked didn't it?”

“Two birds, one stone,” Kise sighs blissfully, “I'm so smart.”

“Let's not get ahead of ourselves, now,” Aomine drawls, though fortunately Kise recognizes it for the teasing it is and only pushes at his head.

“Let's go back,” Aomine tells him then, though somewhat reluctant, “I need to apologize to Kagami, too.”

“What for?”

“I sort of punched him in the face when I thought he was cheating on you.”

Kise gasps, but he is laughing as well, “Protecting my virtue, Aominechi?”

“And my own,” Aomine claims, “Maybe the bastard just has a thing for the Miracles. After Tetsu, I might be next.”

“Oh, and what a sight that would be,” Kise chuckles, but his cheeks are stained red, “We still have to go to the supermarket, though.”

“What for?”

“We need more ice for the party,” Kise reminds him.

“Oh,” Aomine finds himself honestly surprised, “I thought that was just an excuse to get away for a while.”

“That, too,” Kise hums, “But mostly because Alex-san promised to make cocktails.”

He looks at Aomine then, really looks at him, and brushes a tender thumb over the band aid on his cheek, “By the way, what happened here?”

“I fell off my skateboard.” Aomine offers with a one-shouldered shrug and Kise gives him a bemused look, “You know how to handle a skateboard?”

“No,” Aomine admits, “But I'm starting to learn.”

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Aaand everyone had happy make-out times at the party. Duh. 
> 
> I had so much fun writing this. And I really enjoyed the KagaKise dynamic, not gonna lie. In fact, I might write a second installment, describing the events from Kise's view. To up the whumpage. So let me know in the comments if you're interested!
> 
> [* Kise and Kagami are performing "Poison and Wine" by the Civil Wars.]


	2. Kise

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This work is now officially multi-chaptered! There will be two more POV-changing chapters as well as a coda/epilogue-kinda-thing.

_We need to talk_ , is what he texts Kagami when he has come up with a plan.

 _Who is this?_ comes the confused reply,

 _Kise,_ he types back quickly, _Hi, Kagamicchi!_

_How the hell did you get my number??_

_Secret of the trade,_ he just says and smiles to himself, _It's important. Can we meet up?_

 _Fine,_ Kagami gives in, but only five minutes later, _This better be worth it._

 

When they meet at Maji Burger, Kise doesn't beat around the bush, because being subtle doesn't work with someone like Kagami, “You're in love with Kurokocchi.”

“What?! Me?” Kagami is flushed red and gasping for air, launching into vehement denial, “No! We're just friends! Partners! And we're both guys! It's not like I think he's cute or anything! That would be weird. If anyone's in love with him, it's probably you, with the way you're always all over him. And what's that about anyway, don't you know any boundaries? Kuroko doesn't like being attacked like that! Momoi always does the same and-”

Kise just quietly looks at him, waiting for Kagami to either run out of steam or realize that he is really protesting too much for any of it to be true.

“Aw, shit,” Kagami finally lets his head sink, shoulders dropping, “Yeah, I'm in love with him. Am I really that obvious?”

“I'm just familiar with the symptoms,” Kise chuckles, but doesn't offer up more of an explanation, “So what's your battle plan?”

“Huh?”

“How are you planning to win Kurokocchi over?” Kise elaborates, yet the look on Kagami's face is still somewhat dumbfounded.

“Uh, I'm- that is, I've not, I don't think, er-” he takes a deep breath and finally manages, “He probably doesn't even return my feelings, so... yeah.”

Kise gives him a long, pitying look.

“Kagamicchi,” he says indulgently, “What on earth makes you think that?”

“Well, he's pretty mean to me, for one,” Kagami grumbles and tucks his chin against his chest, “Like, he's always making fun of me about one thing or another. And, and whenever I try to, like, touch him he gets all annoyed and wriggles away. So, uh, it's not really worth making things awkward for, uh, for him and the team.”

Yeah, Kise can relate to that. All of that actually. It's easy to understand why Kagami would misread the situation like that. Yet Kise has seen the look in Kuroko's eyes and that one is much harder to misinterpret.

“I know Kurokocchi acts rather mature sometimes,” he reveals now with a vaguely amused smile, “But, really, Kagamicchi, he's still just a teenage boy. What he's doing is basically the equivalent of pulling your pigtails. And he's probably uncomfortable about you touching him because he _likes_ it and doesn't want to give anything away.”

“Yeah, I don't think it's like that,” Kagami shakes his head, desperate denial, “I mean, he's Kuroko. He doesn't beat around the bush. He would've told me if he... if he really... you know.”

“Hm,” Kise purses his lips in consideration. He's known the boy for a while longer and Kuroko _has_ always been a direct person, mind set on what he really wants. Yet people are strange when it comes to love.

“Maybe he needs an incentive,” he muses, tapping a finger against his lower lip, “Maybe he's still building up his courage. And he feels secure in the belief that he's got enough time, that you won't just run out on him.”

Kagami frowns, “Why the hell would I run from him?”

But Kise just laughs lightly, “Not literally run. Just... he thinks he doesn't have to act on his feelings because he's got a monopoly on you.”

“What?”

Kise sighs, “What are you doing after this meeting?”

“Uh, gonna watch that new monster movie with Kuroko.”

“And tomorrow?”

“Studying at his place.”

“And the day after that?”

“Playing street ball in the park.”

“See?” Kise chuckles, “Even apart from school and training, you literally spent all of your time with him.”

“Yeah, so?” Kagami huffs, “We're best friends, after all.”

You're already practically dating, Kise thinks but doesn't say so.

“The both of you have tons of other friends,” Kise points out, “Yet you still only ever hang out with each other. So Kurokocchi thinks that, in one way at least, you're his already.”

Kagami's eyes narrow, “So what, you're saying I should stop meeting him?”

“I'm saying you should make him a little jealous,” Kise grins, “Make him realize what he could lose. That always works in the movies.”

“This is not the movies,” Kagami reminds him, looking slightly frightened. Then he swallows, looks to the side for a moment and then back.

“You think that would really work?” he asks bashfully.

“I think all is fair in love and war,” Kise smiles, “So you're going to try it?”

“I guess,” Kagami mumbles, “I should spend more time with Tatsuya and Alex anyway. And maybe with the other second-years...”

“No no no,” Kise waves him off, “That won't do. They're all basically family. Kuroko wouldn't really be jealous of that.”

Kagami frowns, “Then who else is there? I don't wanna bother the third-years, they're already busy with studying for their finals. And I always get the feeling the new first-years are afraid of me. No clue why, though.”

Kise gives another big sigh, “Honestly, it'd be best if you found yourself a fake love interest.”

Yet Kagami blushes furiously, “That, uh, I don't even know any girls, apart from Coach - and Captain would kill me if I did that -, and Alex, but she's like my big sister or something, that would be so wrong, I can't-”

Kise holds up a hand to silence him.

“No girls,” he says, “That'll only throw Kurokocchi off. You need to fawn over some guy. But something vaguely believable. Someone who Kurokocchi might actually feel threatened by.”

But Kagami only pulls a face, “But who is there?”

Aominecchi, Kise wants to say, because how could he not? Kagami and Aomine have tension on the court that might translate into real life chemistry. They are pretty equal, physically and otherwise. It would be no leap to assume that Kagami would develop a crush on him. So Aomine is definitely the obvious choice.

“Me,” he says instead and smiles brightly.

Kagami lets out a loud guffaw of surprise, “You? Seriously?”

“I know, I know,” Kise tries to hit him across the table, but doesn't quite reach, “I'm not saying you have to actually fall in love with me. But if we work together, I think we can pull it off.”

Kagami is still laughing, but it's slowly puttering off, “Pull of what exactly?”

“Convince Kurokocchi that we're dating, of course,” Kise reveals smugly, a plan already forming in his mind.

 

Kagami is not yet quite down with the whole idea, so Kise has decided to ease him into it.

He's drawn up a list, a four-phase plan that will get the point across without them actually having to do anything. After all, making out in front of Kuroko is more likely to put him off than draw him in.

All they need to do is make him think that he's got something to lose and then make him fight for it. Kuroko Tetsuya has always liked battling the odds. And if Kagami is the prize, then Kise willingly casts himself in the role of the opponent.

But for now, Phase 1 only includes the initiation of the scheme by raising the target's suspicion.

It's quite fortunate that Kagami was planning to meet up with Kuroko and Aomine anyway. Kise joining them for basketball is less unexpected than him showing up for their movie night.

“Hi~, everyone!” he brightly announces his presence and skids down the street court. Hidden motives or not, he's still looking forward to a good match.

“Kise-kun,” Kuroko says in reply, not overly enthused, but not annoyed either. Aomine, of course, doesn't bother to be polite.

“What the hell are you doing here?” he growls with an uptick of his eyebrow and for a moment Kise's face falls, but then he's already schooling his features.

“Kagamicchi invited me,” he explains and it's not quite a lie, but still unusual enough to make Aomine and Kuroko turn towards the redhead in question.

“What?” Kagami shrugs his broad shoulders, obviously uncomfortable with the attention, “More exciting than always playing against you, Ahomine.”

Kise doesn't think there's anything more enticing that going one-on-one against Aomine Daiki, but he's got to hand it to Kagami that it sounds like a plausible explanation.

“Whatever,” Aomine rolls his eyes and turns on his heel, ball gracefully spinning on his finger, “I'll defeat all of you anyway.”

 

He does defeat them, and soundly so.

They've agreed to play two-on-two, switching up the teams so that everyone is paired up at least once, but no matter whom Aomine is playing with, he always comes out on top.

Kise feels a sense of nostalgia, playing side by side with Kuroko and then with Aomine. But it's even weirder to go up against them with Kagami at his back.

They make a good team, though. Kagami is clearly used to being the ace, but he's got none of Aomine's default tendencies towards arrogance, and unlike Kuroko he doesn't require a specific type of play either. Kagami is adaptable, and so is Kise. Maybe they'll really make this work after all.

They're taking a break while Kagami is still shooting a couple of three-pointers.

Aomine is picking the wax out of his ears, but Kuroko is surreptitiously watching Kagami's from. Perfect opportunity.

“He's so good,” Kise sighs, seemingly out of nowhere, his gaze so obviously fixed on the boy, “And soo handsome.”

Immediately he can feel the others' eyes on him, but he just feigns a laugh.

“So?” he waves off their implied questions, “I can appreciate beauty other than my own.”

“Kagami-kun is not exactly what one would call a beauty,” Kuroko points out, sounding a little bristly, but Kise has to disagree.

“He has this roguish charm,” he observes, letting his eyes rake across the long, broad line of Kagami's back, the way his calves and arms bulge with each shot. Oh, he is attractive all right, and Kuroko must know it, too.

“Maybe it's because he grew up in America,” he muses, an excuse for Kagami's general lack of tact and manners, “It's very masculine, don't you think?”

Before Kuroko can reply, though, Aomine makes a gagging noise.

“I think I'm gonna puke,” he chokes with his tongue halfway out of his mouth, but then just gets up and challenges Kagami to a one-on-one.

 

“You played so well, Kagamicchi,” Kise tells him afterwards, and it's true. It's just that Aomine will always be a little bit better, a bit more amazing than anyone else can ever hope to be.

“Thanks,” Kagami replies when he accepts the bottle of water Kise offers him. Kise cannot help but grin deviously and then fakes a giggle against the back of his hand.

“What?” Kagami asks, eyes narrowing.

“Don't you know, Kagamicchi?” Kise asks, making a point of repeating his name as often as possible. He's vaguely aware of Kuroko standing close-by, watching. “That was an indirect kiss.”

Of course Kagami spits out half of the water at that, and his face is wonderfully red. Surprisingly, though, he manages to pull himself back together enough to taunt, “I hope the real thing is better.”

“So mean, Kagamicchi!” Kise gasps in delight and then steals the bottle back to take a big gulp, his throat working around the water and keeping his eyes fixed on Kagami in a silent challenge.

He barely registers an orange blur, but then the breath is already knocked out of Kagami by the ball thrown at him.

“My apologies, Kagami-kun,” Kuroko says blandly, “I did not see you there.”

“That's rich, coming from you,” Kagami rubs his surely aching side, “Your passes have gotten really fucking strong.”

“That's because you have been such an inspiration for Kurokocchi,” Kise jumps in, lacing his voice in thick adoration, “For us all, really.”

The annoyance roiling off Kuroko in waves is almost palpable.

Bingo, Kise thinks and smiles.

 

 _Do you have class with Kurokocchi right now?_ Kise asks on Monday.

 _Yeah,_ Kagami texts back, _He's sitting behind me._

 _Perfect,_ Kise replies, _Then we can keep texting._

 _No,_ Kagami objects, _Class is starting. I don't want my phone confiscated._

_Then be careful about it._

_What are we supposed to be texting about then?_

_Doesn't matter,_ Kise rolls his eyes, _Just try to look more interested in your phone than in class._

 _No problem there,_ Kagami laments and Kise bites the inside of his cheek to swallow his grin. He's sitting in class, too, after all.

 _What did you have for breakfast?_ Kise asks, just to make conversation, inane though it may be.

 _Gyouza,_ Kagami shoots back, _You?_

 _Nothing,_ Kise replies, _Well, juice box._

 _That's not healthy,_ Kagami admonishes, _Breakfast is important._

 _I know~,_ Kise huffs mentally, _I just had an early photo shoot. No time for food._

_Make sure you have lunch then._

_A fan just gave me some chocolates before class. <3_

_That's not healthy either!_

_Sorry, kaa-san._

After that there's no reply and he has to spent the rest of the lesson bored out of his mind. During break, though, he finally gets another message.

_Sorry. Teacher took my phone._

_No problem. How'd Kurokocchi react?_

_Asked whom I was texting._

_What did you say?_

_'No one.'_

It's such a Kagami thing, but in this case it'll work perfectly. Kuroko is probably not used to Kagami keeping secrets from him.

_Are you going to walk home after school together?_

_We always do that, yeah._

_Tell him that you can't today._

_What? Why?_

_Just say you have something else to do. He's too polite too needle you about it, trust me._

_And then?_

_Then you'll buy one of my photo books,_ Kise tells him and grins.

 

Throughout the next two weeks, he and Kagami keep texting.

This forced familiarity quickly starts feeling natural, until they are sending each other random videos and silly emojis.

Once, he even sends Kagami a picture of him just before dawn having crawled out of bed for a photo shoot, tired and looking like something the cat dragged in.

 _If my fans knew what I looked like without make-up...,_ he whines, and Kagami replies with the picture of a baboon's backside, apparently not even annoyed that he was woken before dawn.

 _Tadaa~,_ Kise cheers later underneath another selfie, this one all smiley and done-up for work.

This time Kagami sends him a baboon's face. It's only a minor improvement.

 

 _Two girls caught me reading your interview today!_ Kagami complains and even in text he sounds mortified.

 _Good,_ Kise judges, _Was Kurokocchi there?_

_Yeah. He didn't say anything, though. But the girls knew that I knew you because of b-ball and they asked about whether you have a girlfriend._

_Huh? Why?_

_In the interview you say there's someone you like,_ Kagami clarifies, _Did you mean me by that?_

 _Sure,_ Kise lies, _What are you doing tomorrow evening?_

 _I got a test, so I should be studying with Kuroko,_ comes the tentative answer. By now Kagami has gotten used to the fact that Kuroko is no longer his default plan for how to spend his time.

 _You're having dinner with me,_ Kise decides, _You're a good cook, right?_

_How do you know that?_

_You talk a lot about Kurokocchi, but he talks a lot about you, too, you know that?_ Kise types and for a while there is only silence.

 _Oh,_ Kagami responds finally, _Okay. Come to my place at six. I'll text you my address._

Kagami and Kuroko will end up dating and Kise is getting free food out of the deal. This plan is the best idea he's ever had.

 

Kagami's apartment is one of the nicest Kise has ever seen. And that's saying something considering he's sometimes invited to other models and photographers' private parties.

Kagami also lives on his own which gives the whole set-up a bit of a sordid feeling, and that'll make Kuroko jump to conclusions.

“What are you doing in my wardrobe again?” Kagami asks carefully as Kise is still liberally rummaging through his bedroom.

“Trying to find you an outfit,” he replies without looking up, “You have to own something beside black shirts, right? Just go back and finish dinner or something.”

“Fine by me,” Kagami shrugs and disappears back into the kitchen where heavenly smells are already wafting through the air.

The surprising thing is that Kagami actually owns a ton of clothes, and nice clothes, too! Yet whenever he isn't wearing his jersey or school uniform, he seems to fall back to his default combo of jeans and dark shirt, so most of the other things look barely worn. Some even still have their price tags on them.

“I just love shopping,” Kagami admits, shamefaced, when confronted about it, “But when I try to actually dress nicely, I feel stupid. Like a mannequin.”

Kise nods in understanding. As a model he has to always look his best in case someone takes candids of him. Yet sometimes he'd just like to leave the house in baggy sweats and some faded shirts, not giving a damn about what anyone else thinks.

Kagami has already set the table and filled the plates. The dining room is dimly lit and low music is playing in the background. It really looks like an actual dinner date.

“Have you ever cooked like this for Kurokocchi?” Kise asks as he sits down, mouth watering at the sight.

“Sure,” Kagami shrugs and scratches his cheek, “All the time.”

“No wonder he fell for you,” Kise sighs and delights in how Kagami splutters out incoherent objections.

“Itadakimasu!” Kise chirps a moment later, but instead of picking up his chop sticks, he snaps a picture of his laden plate.

“What was that for?” Kagami asks skeptically, but Kise only gives him an enigmatic smile, “I'll explain later.”

When he finally does take the first bite of his yakitori he cannot help but moan. He's used to high—end restaurants and simply really good catering, but this is another world entirely.

“Good?” Kagami asks and there is that cocksure edge to it that he usually only displays when it comes to basketball.

“Delicious,” Kise manages to say once he has swallowed, “Who taught you how to cook like this?”

“I did,” and just like that Kagami ducks his head again, fumbling with his chopsticks, “My parents were always working late, so I was home alone a lot. And then Tatsuya complained about missing proper Japanese cuisine, so I tried my hand on that. It was a bit of a challenge because you can get your hands on pretty much all ingredients in the States, but it's still always just a little off.”

“And here?” Kise asks, tilting his head to the side, unable to imagine how difficult it must be to switch between countries and cultures, “Can you cook Western meals?”

“Barely,” Kagami pulls a face, “And everything is so expensive. And the stupidest things like milk, too. In America you at least have all these small corner shops run by Asian immigrants. Here I have to get really inventive to make my recipes work.”

They spend the rest of the meal easily talking like that, about how long Kagami lived in the States, how he met Himuro Tatsuya and got into basketball, how it's been his only constant between switching schools so often.

“And you?” Kagami asks, “Kuroko mentioned you only started playing pretty late. What made you join?”

“Ah,” Kise chuckles a little awkwardly, “I transferred to Teiko during my second year at middle-school. And I just... sort of fell in love with basketball, I guess.”

It's not quite how it went, but by the long searching look Kagami gives him, he maybe still understands all of the things that aren't being said.

“Speaking of Kurokocchi,” Kise tries to distract him and whips out his phone, “Time for Phase 2!”

Because while Kuroko already suspects that Kagami has developed some sort of obscure connection with Kise, his worries now have to manifest into something more tangible.

 _Kurokocchi really didn't exaggerate!_ he types quickly, _Kagamicchi is an amazing cook!_

“There,” he says, feeling accomplished after he's sent off the picture he'd previously taken of their meal, “He'll come knocking at your door in half an hour tops. Which means we'll have to hurry.”

“What did you do?” Kagami asks frantically as he is dragged into his bedroom.

“Lured Kurokocchi in, of course,” Kise trills and grabs the clothes he has laid out on the bed, “Now we have to bait him some more. Here, put that on.”

“What? Why?” Kagami tries to get away, but Kise grabs him by the collar and wrangles him out of his - surprise, surprise - plain black shirt.

“Because,” Kise explains and tears his eyes away from the expanse of Kagami's bare chest, wondering whether Kuroko ever feels intimidated by so much muscle, “We want you to look especially nice today.”

“But why??”

“Because Kuroko will show up here in a bit,” Kise elaborates, “And when faced with your glorious self he'll once more be reminded of just how handsome you are. But he'll think that you dressed up for me, and that's make him even more jealous. Got it?”

“...not handsome...” Kagami mumbles but obediently shrugs into the dove-blue henley Kise has picked out.

“Very handsome,” Kise reiterates and goes to snatch something out of his bag he left in the hallway. When he returns Kagami is already buttoning up his jeans as well.

“These are way too tight,” Kagami wheezes, “I don't know why I bought them.”

Probably because they made his ass look like _that_ , Kise thinks, but doesn't say it. Kagami already looks uncomfortable enough.

“Almost done,” Kise promises and unscrews the lid of the plastic container in his hand.

Kagami eyes it suspiciously, “What's that?”

“Hair gel,” Kise tells him calmly, “Now sit down on the bed so I can reach.”

Kagami pulls an unhappy face but flops down on the edge of the mattress like a big dog.

Kise doesn't want to go overboard because Kagami is supposed to still look like himself, but just a little bit sexier. And a little more aware of it, too. Because really, what the boy needs is not a stylist, but more self-confidence.

He scoops up just a tiny bit of the gel and starts smoothing it into the deep red hair, swiping back the fringe and accentuating single strands, making it look casual and effortless.

“There you go,” Kise says and steps back to admire his work, carelessly wiping his hands off his own jeans.

He should be used to it because of work, but it's always strange to see how tiny details can change a person so much. This way, Kagami's forehead is exposed, making his naturally angular jaw look even more chiseled, his perpetual frown making him appear less like a petulant teenager and more like a man who... frowns a lot about adult things.

Anyway, Kuroko will be floored.

They've barely made it back to the living-room when the doorbell rings.

Impressed, Kise checks his watch. Little over fifteen minutes since he sent the text. Kurokocchi is quick when he wants to be.

“Told you so~,” Kise singsongs simply as Kagami stands up to go answer.

In the meanwhile, Kise lets himself fall back against the couch, mussing up his hair and unbuttoning the top of his shirt, trying to look as relaxed and casual as possible.

He hears muffled voices, unable to pick out any words, but then he hears someone step into the room.

“Oi!” a voice snaps and Kise's eyes open in surprise, because that sure as hell is not Kuroko's voice.

“Aominecchi!” Kise gasps and flounders for a bit, wondering what's going on, “Where's Kagamicchi?”

“Who cares?” Aomine barks and steps closer. He's not even bothered to take off his shoes, and the soles of his sneakers are strangely loud on the wooden floorboards, “What the hell are you doing here?”

Kise takes a quick breath to calm himself, relaxing his shoulders.

“Kagamicchi invited me over for dinner,” he explains, even though he had invited himself, “We just finished eating.”

“Then why are you still here?” Aomine wants to know, and Kise doesn't understand why he would be so incensed.

Then again, it's probably obvious enough. Kuroko must've been out with Aomine when he had gotten the text from Kise. And Aomine had always been strangely protective of Kuroko. It's no surprise that he would side with him in this situation as well.

“Oh, you know,” he says lightly, though it almost gets stuck because of the lump in his throat, “To talk. And stuff.”

Implications and inferences are always so much worse than outright lies and blank truths can ever be.

“Stuff,” someone echoes and when he looks over, Kuroko has joined them in the livingroom. His face is carefully empty of emotion, but then he looks over to where Kagami is uneasily standing in the threshold, “Kagami-kun, don't you have a test to study for?”

“Yeah, Kise's helping me study,” Kagami says, not very convincingly. At least, he had mentioned that he has already studied last weekend and this afternoon, so at least his performance in school won't suffer too much because of this whole scheme.

Kuroko is skeptical, “His grades are probably even worse than yours.”

Which... Kise can't really take offense to because it's true.

“But I've developed a very effective reward system,” Kise claims and makes a show of stretching out on the couch, leaving the insinuation dangle there in the silence.

Finally, Kuroko just turns on his heel and marches out of the room again.

“If you fail, I will never help you with homework again,” he threatens, his voice tight, even as he grinds out the obligatory, “Thanks for having me.”

He's closely followed by Aomine who doesn't say anything, just throws a glare at Kagami and then slams the front door shut behind them.

As soon as they are alone again, Kise lets out a loud sigh. Kagami simply looks stunned.

“Was it supposed to happen like this?” he asks carefully and allows himself to settle down on the couch as Kise scoots over.

“Well, Aominecchi was an unexpected factor,” he muses.

How had he ever thought this plan would work with Aomine as Kagami's love interest? Aomine didn't even particularly like him. He didn't really like Kise either, judging by his reaction just now. But maybe that was simply his fierce loyalty to Kuroko.

“But did you finally see how jealous Kuroko is?” he asks and nudges Kagami's shoulder.

Yet the redhead still looks a little uncertain, gives a vague shrug, “He's just annoyed because if I'll fail my classes, I'll have to sit out during basketball.”

“Kagamicchi,” Kise admonishes, “Kurokocchi likes you for more than just your skills at basketball.”

“Yeah, okay,” Kagami just says as if that would finish it, so Kise sighs again.

“Shall I quiz you on your exam?” he asks and Kagami gives a grateful nod.

 

They really do try to study, but sooner rather than later they get side-tracked again by discussions about pretty much anything else.

Kise mentions off-handedly that he used to play baseball and Kagami replies that you can't live in the States without being dragged into other people's baseball craze, even if you didn't play yourself. Kise's interest in acting is supplemented by the memory of Kagami starring as the donkey in a nativity play when he was in primary school, and finally Kise asks about the acoustic guitar set up in the corner of the living-room.

“Alex taught me,” Kagami reveals, embarrassed, “I'm not very good at it, though.”

“Play me something,” Kise asks him and the other looks even more unsure.

“Have you ever played for Kurokocchi?”

“Oh God,” Kagami nearly chokes on his own spit, “I'd die.”

“Then this is perfect,” Kise nods to himself, “We'll record something and I'll make sure he gets to see it. He already knows your athletic, domestic and humorous sides. Now we'll get down to the romance.”  
Kagami is vehemently shaking his head, so Kise just goes to get the guitar and press it into his hands, “There. Play. Anything, really, but preferably something about love. Okay?”

Kagami's fingers clench around the guitar, but the feel of it in his hands must be almost as familiar as that of a basketball because soon enough he relaxes his hold and starts plucking at the strings.

To Kise's surprise, he does not only start playing a song, he actually sing along, too. And he doesn't sound half-bad doing it.

“Wow,” he praises liberally and claps his hands when Kagami is done, “That was really good.”

Kagami just grumbles something unintelligible again and Kise cannot help but chuckle. It's really a good thing that he's decided to play matchmaker. On their own, Kuroko and Kagami probably would dance around the issue for ages and never actually admit their feelings.

“Great,” Kise nods decisively, “Now teach me.”

They spend the next quarter of an hour making sure that Kise's got the lyrics right and that they are halfway in tune with each other. Then Kise's giddiness doesn't allow him to wait any longer.

He sets up the camera of his phone and starts recording a generic message for his fans before dragging Kagami into the frame.

As they perform together, Kagami gradually loosens up a bit, and Kise concentrates on putting his emotions into the song.

“Oh , your hands can heal, your hands can bruise,” he sings and wrily thinks of how that doesn't only fit Kuroko's personality, “I don't have a choice, but I still choose you.”

Because that's what it gets down to, doesn't it? An unwillingness to move on, an inability to ever consider anyone else.

“Oh, I don't love you but I always will,” he finishes, letting the words ebb off into the night, “I always will.”

He's tempted to remain like this, sharing this unexpected moment with Kagami, but then he gets up and cuts off the recording. There's some stuff he doesn't want anyone to see, least of all the public.

He tinkers around with his phone for a bit.

“I'm uploading it to my Twitter feed,” he tells Kagami who's watching him wearily.

“Does Kuroko even follow you on Twitter?” he asks, not quite convinced.

“No,” Kise shrugs it off and doesn't look up from the screen, “The others never really cared for my work. But I know for a fact that there are several of my fans at Seirin, and someone is bound to recognise you. Kurokocchi will catch wind of it soon enough.”

“This is getting really complicated,” Kagami shakes his head as if to clear it, “How much time have you spent planning this.”

“I get _really_ bored in class,” Kise says as though that would explain everything. Kagami just snorts.

“So instead of paying attention to the classes you're failing, you're instead imagining how to set me up with Kuroko?” he asks, and at least he's properly acknowledging their common goal here.

“Definitely more interesting that calculus,” Kise points out and then throws a look outside, only just now noticing how dark it has gotten. He'll have to leave soon.

“Now,” he rubs his hands, “For the grand conclusion of the evening, we will give you a hickey.”  
“No,” Kagami says, bringing up his hands to cover his neck, “I will not have you sucking on any part of me.”

Kise cocks an eyebrow, and Kagami realizes what he has just implied, so he quickly backpedals, “You know what I mean.”

“I won't give you an actual hickey,” Kise promises him soothingly, “Unless Plan A fails. We only need a plastic bottle. Do you have one?”

“Uh, sure,” Kagami says, gets up and disappear in the kitchen. When he comes back, he holds up the required item, “Empty, I'm guessing.”

“Correct,” Kise grins, “We're going to work with vacuums and under-pressure. Or something. I never really paid attention in Physics.”

When he is handed the bottle, Kise unscrews the lid and squeezes the bottle to scrunch up the opening and make it look more like a mouth.

“Come here,” he tells Kagami and tugs him down onto the floor again, running his fingers along Kagami's neck to find the most sensitive spot, “We'll make it really obvious, so Kurokocchi can't miss it.”

“Neither will anyone else,” Kagami mutters, but endures bravely when Kise places the opening of the bottle squarely on the right side of his neck. Kise squeezes again to push out more air and then presses it again Kagami's skin where it immediately attaches itself.

“This actually hurts,” Kagami complains after a while.

“Of course it does, your blood vessels are bursting,” Kise sniffs as though offended, “That's what hickeys do. They are like bruises, but sexy.”

“Not when your significant other is a bottle,” Kagami retorts dryly and Kise loses it, laughing loudly and making the bottle slip.

“Hold still,” he warns before Kagami can pull away, starting to rub his fingers around the red blotch he has created and spreading the blood a little to make it look more natural.

“Tadaah!” Kise declares, leaning back to admire his work, “A masterpiece. I think I'll call it 'Sad Excuse for Romance'.”

“Yeah yeah, Picasso,“ Kagami snorts and takes the pocket mirror Kise offers him, checking his reflection.

“Damn,” he curses quietly, poking the fake hickey with careful fingers, “I'll probably get detention just for showing up to class like this.”

“No pain, no gain,” Kise reminds him and then starts gathering up his things, “Phase 2 is almost complete. Now Kurokocchi only has to see the hickey and the video, and he'll realize that he can't wait around much more. Soon enough, he'll be be all yours, and you won't have to bother with me anymore.”

Kagami looks at him in askance, “You're not really a bother. You've been a big help.”

Kise laughs, “You should wait and see whether my plan actually works out.”

“Still,” Kagami shrugs, “It's pretty nice of you to even offer your help in the first place.”

“You're so sweet, Kagamicchi,” Kise cheers and means it, “Now, I gotta catch my train. We'll see each other on Saturday during the training match. And remember, whenever anyone asks about the hickey, just be really evasive. And maybe blush a lot.”

“Yeah, that won't be a problem,” Kagami mutters to himself and rubs the heel of his hand over the sore spot. He accompanies Kise to the door, watching as he puts on his shoes and then straightens up again.

“Thank you for the delicious food, Kagamicchi,” Kise tells him with smile, “I had a lot of fun this evening.”

“Yeah, me too,” Kagami says and grins. Kise's lips quiver a tiny bit as his smile widens even more, because not only will this plan lead to Kagami and Kuroko getting together, but Kise will have made a close friend as well.

“See you,” Kise says and waves, even as he makes his way down the stairs.

“Get home safe,” Kagami calls after him and Kise cannot help but laugh fondly.

 

Seirin training match that weekend is the perfect opportunity to make the fake dating a little more public. Kise has asked Kagami to meet him behind the gym and that's where they are now, discussing battle plans.

“How'd he react to the hickey?” he wants to know and Kagami looks uncomfortable.

“He didn't really say anything,” he responds, “Just stared at it really hard and sort of gave me the silent treatment.”

He gives a big sigh, “Is this really meant to help? I feel like I'm just pushing him away.”

“I know,” Kise pats his back, “I think we can stop soon. For now, though, we have to make it so that your teammates will draw their own conclusions.”

At that, Kagami looks suspicious, “What does that mean?”

“I bet you've already been teased by your other teammates about the hickey, right?”

“Koga-senpai has pointed it out like three times already,” Kagami moans and rubs at his neck again. The bruise has faded to an ugly green-yellow but it's still very visible.

“Perfect,” Kise nods, reminding himself to thank that Koga later, “So now, when I'll show up during half-time, the smarter of your teammates will slowly realize that it's maybe me you are dating. And there will be confusion. Because why would you settle for me and when the romance between you and Kuroko is so wonderful? After all, everyone's been expecting to catch the two of you making out in the locker rooms at some point. I mean, we've all seen you guys after your victory at the WinterCup. The way you were clinging to each other, the tears, the joy. Sweaty skin on skin. Pure euphoria. Adrenaline. You probably went out with your team to celebrate after, damn the exhaustion, but then, then you went home to your big empty apartment and you had him right there, on the- are you alright Kagamicchi?”

Because while Kise had gleefully made up sordid details about Kagami's non-existent love life, the boy himself has turned distinctly red in the face.

“Don't- don't say that,” Kagami stammers, hiding his face in his big hands.

“But everybody's thinking it!” Kise insists and laughs, “So you're teammates will be totally caught off guard when you suddenly show up with me.”

“I really need to get going now,” Kagami tries to extract himself from the situation, “Coach'll have my head.”

“Just tell her you were talking to the janitor,” Kise shrugs him off, though he is well aware of how scary Seirin's coach can be, “Okay, okay. Just remember, I'll join you during half-time, alright?”

“Uh,” Kagami hesitates for a moment, “You know we're playing against Touou, right?”

In fact, Kise hadn't know that, so he just forces a smile on his face.

“So?” he asks brightly, “This isn't about basketball anyway.”

“Sure,” Kagami says but looks unconvinced.

“Go!” Kise reminds him and gives him a light kick, then he hunkers down to spend the next half hour playing with his phone.

 

With impeccable timing, Kise marches into the gym just as the second halftime begins, acting as if he owns the place.

“Kise!” Coach Aida immediately calls him out, bristling, “What are you doing here again?”

Geez, Kise thinks with an eye roll. She makes it sound like he showed up here all of the time, but he just shrugs and gives her his one-million yen smile, “I had a shoot in the area.”

Last week. He had a shoot in the area last week. Lying by omission is not really lying after all.

But the short girl only narrows her eyes in suspicion, “Are you gathering intel on us?”

To Kise surprise, however, Kagami comes to his aid.

“It's alright, Coach,” he tries to soothe her, “Just let the pretty boy stay.”

And Kagami's teammates might not be the brightest crayons in the box, but this girl is sharp and with one lingering look she has figured out what is going on between them. Well. She has figured out that they are apparently kind of dating. Not that they are just faking a secret relationship in order to make Kuroko jealous enough to finally confess his feelings to Kagami. This plan was really getting more and more convoluted, wasn't it?

“Fine,” she says finally, clearly unwilling, “He can stay. But only if he promises to arrange a match against Kaijo.”

“Already talked to Coach Takeuchi about it,” Kise claims though the man and the rest of the team are keen on it anyway. Then he drags Kagami back over to the bench he had been sitting on.

“You have to take good care of your body,” he reminds him, though it's obvious that Kagami hasn't played a single minute during the game, “Let me give you a massage.”

From the corner of his eyes, he can see Kuroko glowering at him, sitting at the other end of the bench, the other second- and third-years safely between them to act as a barrier.

God, Kurokocchi could be seriously scary sometimes. But Kise just kept chattering on, even as he knelt down in front of Kagami and started massaging his calves.

He's good at this, he knows, and Kagami doesn't offer any objections even though he looks vaguely uncomfortable.

The rest of the team is fortunately paying more attention to the match instead of the strange display right in front of them, so Kise keeps kneading his fingertips and knuckles into Kagami's thick calves, rubbing the heels over his hands over the muscles.

Both at Teiko and at Kaijo, he's been one of the star players and thus the second-strings were usually responsible for massaging _him_ , but he'd still sometimes offered to massage Aomine instead. Out of common courtesy, he'd offered the same to the others, but Aomine the arrogant git was the only one who had ever accepted it.

Massaging someone who's not tense is kind of pointless, though, so after a couple of minutes Kise finally just seats himself next to Kagami, pressing up a little closer than necessary, even though the bench is kind of short on their end.

“That second-year is vicious,” Kise whispers and subtly nods towards the boy with the angelic face.

“I know,” Kagami growls, “And he's so weird about it, too. Apologizes and then fucks you up. Hate that guy.”

“How'd he even survive on that team?” Kise chuckles, “Touou is so competitive. You'd think they'd eat him alive.”

“Nah, he's too good for that,” Kagami shakes his head, “He played every game last year.”

More than Aomine, definitely. Though even with an absent ace it was quite a feat to make first-string as a freshman, especially at such an established team as Touou's.

“Still,” Kagami snickers, “Captain started calling him an apologetic mushroom and-”

“Mushroom,” Kise wheezes and promptly doubles over.

“What?” Kagami says, but he's laughing, too, “I mean, just look at his face. First he's all cute and unsuspecting, looking like a-”

“Mushroom,” Kise agrees, holding his belly.

“And then he guts you with his three-pointers,” Kagami continues, “I mean, what the hell, it's just not fair. Sure, Kuroko is kind of like that, but at least he doesn't look that cute on purpose-”

Kise is feebly trying to keep himself together without falling off the couch as Kagami keeps up his running commentary. According to him, Touou's new captain looks like a brick wall while the old one was a slimy eel with glasses.

“And what's up with the coach?” he asks, “He's more dressed up than you in your photo books. His hair is so stylish it _sparkles_!”

Kise does, in fact, notice how Kagami tactfully refrains from commenting on Aomine, even as their conversation veers off into a more serious discussion about the skills of the various players on court.

And Kise may not have come here to gather intel, but he can already tell that neither Seirin nor Touou has collected any new note-worthy talents, which may just give Kaijo the advantage it needs during the upcoming InterHigh.

So Kise ignores Kuroko's menacing aura from a couple of meters away, and also does not look up to where Aomine is sitting on the other side of the court.

 

After the match, he waits for Kagami to return from the locker rooms where Seirin's coach is doubtlessly picking apart their performance and making plans for an ever harsher training regimen.

But it's Aomine who finds him first, giving him a dark look.

“I'm just waiting for Kagamicchi,” Kise says in reply to the unvoiced question, quickly making up an excuse, “We wanted to go get popsicles.”

If possible, Aomine's scowl grows even more, “Alone?”

And Kise doesn't what's happening, doesn't know why Aomine has been so cold to him lately, so short-tempered, so hostile. Because no amount of protectiveness for Kuroko's sake could justify this kind of behavior. And he doesn't like it and it hurts, but this could finally be an opportunity to smooth over the waves.

“Well,” he offers hesitantly, “I guess you and Kurokocchi could tag along.”

“What a generous offer,” Kuroko suddenly intones from behind him, “But shouldn't models be mindful of their calorie intake?”

It's one of Kuroko's typical dry jokes, but there is an edge to it that makes Kise uneasy, so he's grateful when Kagami finally appears as well.

“Kagamicchi!” he calls for backup, going for childishly joking, “Kurokocchi is calling me fat!”

“Huh?” Kagami clearly has no idea what's going on, just looks between the two of them as though hoping for an answer.

“Do you think I'm fat?” Kise whines in exaggeration and sucks his stomach in to make himself appear thinner, hunching his shoulders up and scrunching his face into a concentrated grimace, so he misses what the redhead mutters under his breath.

“What was that Kagamicchi?” he asks and blinks.

“I said you're fine as you are,” Kagami repeat, looking embarrassed, and Kise cannot help but grin.

“I have to say, you're not half-bad yourself, Kagamicchi,” he teases and steps closer, but is once more interrupted by Kuroko.

“Kise-kun,” the boy says tightly, “Please refrain from trying to wrap Kagami-kun around your finger.”

Don't worry, Kise thinks, You've already got him wrapped around yours.

This could be the moment when everything comes to a close. When Kuroko finally can't take it anymore and just declares his undying love for Kagami, so that they may live happily ever after.

“But, Kurokocchi,” he says, opting for the truth, “I just want to be friends with him.”

Yet Kise had not considered the fact that you couldn't plan people's behaviors. And especially Kuroko has proved to be unpredictable more than once in the past.

“I know what your attempts at making friends look like,” Kuroko says because of course he would remember all of _that_ , but Kise would never have thought that he'd dig his fingernails into the wound like this, “And you won't succeed here either.”

And Kise had known that Kuroko had a vicious streak, but it's different when it's suddenly turned against himself. So he firmly holds on to his smile and automatically his hand comes up to find Kagami's shoulder for support.

“But I guess I already have,” he says and the words are out of his mouth before he realizes that this is too much, this could go too far.

Kuroko just purses his lips, but other than that his face is void of emotion, and Kise envies him for doing it so easily.

“Kise-kun has always been an attention seeker,” he says with ice in his words, “To make up for everything he lacks.”

And isn't that, right there, a summary of everything Kise is, everything he has ever done?

Because Kise may have his fans but when it comes down to it, when it comes to the people that matter Kuroko has always been more special in comparison.

“Not everyone likes to fade into the background all of the time,” he defends himself and nervously cards his fingers through his hair.

He's waiting for Kuroko to add something, to deal the finishing blow, yet it's Aomine who steps up to take that honor. It's always, always Aomine.

“Don't mind him,” he tells Kuroko, sounding bored of this entire conversation and not even sparing Kise a glance, “He's just a pretty face. It's not like anyone's actually gonna be interested in him.”

Oh, Kise thinks numbly and takes a little step back. He's never thought of it quite like that.

He's probably going to start crying, and soon. But he'll not expose himself like that, not here, not now.

“At least I _do_ have a pretty face,” he manages to retort and fixes his smile back into place, even if it still feels wrong and broken. Then he turns on the spot and leaves the gym as quickly as possible without actually running.

 

Kagami comes to find him sitting at the edge of the school grounds and with his face half-buried in his arms. Kise had not been expecting that so he subtly wipes away the stray tears that linger on his cheeks. Yet Kagami thankfully doesn't comment, doesn't even look too closely.

“I reckon that wasn't part of the plan,” Kagami says quietly and leans against the wire fence, making it rattle under his weight, before he slowly slides down along it until he is crouching next to Kise, their shoulders barely touching. It's a nice gesture, comforting without being overbearing, just what Kise needs right now.

No, the plan was to make Kuroko jealous which was definitely working. So as long as his contempt didn't turn against Kagami, Kise was merely collateral damage.

“Did you know that people only truly speak their mind when they are angry?” he asks and laughs a little self-deprecatingly, “I guess now I know what Kurokocchi and Aominecchi really think of me.”

“Maybe we should just stop,” Kagami tells him, “It's not worth it if your friendship gets destroyed.”

“But we are so close, Kagamicchi!” Kise insists, “I can feel it. Kurocchi was ready to jump you just now.”

“Maybe,” Kagami admits gruffly, “But I don't want you to get hurt over this.”

Kise's breath hitches and his heart squeezes painfully, wide eyes turning on the redhead. Before he even knows what he is doing, he has tilted his chin up and is kissing Kagami.

He can feel Kagami freeze, so it takes a second for Kise's brain to catch up, for him to pull away, look away, nervous fingers running through his hair.

“Sorry,” he laughs, a little breathless and a lot ashamed. From the corner of his eye he can tell that Kagami is just as red-faced as him. “I don't really know why I did that.”

He does know, though. It's because Kagami does not want him to get hurt. Because he has just easily muttered the nicest words anyone had ever said to Kise. Because, for whatever reason, he actually seems to care for him.

“Don't sweat it,” Kagami says, looking away and scratching his cheekbone, before he hesitantly puts a warm arm around Kise's shoulders, “It's okay to be upset.”

For a moment Kise can do nothing but stare. Then he chuckles lightly and allows himself to lean into the touch.

“Kurokocchi is really lucky to have you, you know that?” he says and really means it.

“Yeah, well,” Kagami huffs, not quite convinced, “We'll see about that.”

 

Things are going too slowly, too painstakingly. All the fabricated confrontations are too short to really develop into something significant.

They need a more private setting, Kise decides. Something apart from school and basketball, from parks and fast food restaurants.

They need alcohol.

 _We're throwing a party at your place_ , he texts Kagami, _Invite everyone you know._

 

“I'm not sure this is a good idea,” Kagami says, “We're not even allowed to drink.”

“Oh please,” Kise pats him on the back, “You're from the States, right?”

“Where the laws about underage drinking are even stricter than here,” Kagami reminds him.

“Oh,” Kise says and frowns mildly, “So you're saying you've never been drunk before?”

“No,” Kagami shakes his head, “Have you?”

“No,” Kise admits.

“Whatever,” Kagami shrugs, “It's not like we can get our hands on any booze anyway.”

“Soo...,” Kise trails off uncertainly, “I shouldn't have sent Alex-san out to buy some?”

“Oh my God,” Kagami buries his face in his hands, “We're all gonna die of alcohol poisoning.”

They're at Kagami's place and things are going well.

Kagami has prepared a huge buffet and Kise contributes by emptying bags of chips into various bowls and strategically placing them throughout the apartment. He's also picked out a playlist and Kagami's outfit for the night.

They still have half an hour left before the first guests will be arriving, but Kise has decided that tonight will finally be the turning point when Kuroko gets over himself and under Kagami. Or something. He isn't sure how the logistics would work with these two.

“So, uh, can I talk to you about something?” Kagami asks as Kise is busy inspecting a palm tree in the corner, because apparently Kagami has potted plants and he manages to keep them alive. What a man.

“Sure,” Kise says and pokes at the leaves to make sure they're really real.

“Why the hell are you in love with that bastard?”

The question comes so totally out of nowhere that Kise feels a little bit dizzy from the whiplash.

“Sorry?” he asks faintly and forces himself to look up.

“Come on,” Kagami looks uncomfortable but determined, “You knew about me and Kuroko. And I know about you and Aomine. Is that so difficult to believe?”

“That was during middle school,” Kise tries to derail him, “Ages ago.”

“Doesn't seem like it whenever you look at him,” Kagami points out bluntly and Kise sucks in his lower lip, “And why's that?”

“You look like you know he could take you apart with one blow,” Kagami explains, “But like it'd be totally worth the risk.”

“Are you trying to tell me it's not worth it?” Kise asks and cannot help but sound a little challenging.

Yet Kagami merely shrugs.

“I think he's an asshole,” he says carelessly, “But you know him far better than I do. And heck, it's not like Kuroko is all sunshine and puppies either.”

“Considering you're afraid of dogs, I think 'sunshine and puppies' is exactly what you think of when you look at Kuroko,” Kise says and now he is able to laugh.

Together they stand in this big empty living room, both hopelessly in love and unfortunately not with each other. It occurs to Kise how they might have actually made a good couple. Only a good couple, though. Not great, not breath-taking.

“You wanna know how Kurokocchi looks at you?” he asks instead, feeling very calm all of a sudden, “He looks at you like you're the sun and he wants to lay the moon at your feet. You're everything to him. Everything.”

“Yeah, he-” Kagami shuffles around a little, “He said something similar when we first met.”

Kise gives a helpless little laugh, shakes his head, “And you still doubt that he loves you?”

“Nah,” Kagami says and scratches the back of his head, a blinding grin on him, “I'm gonna kiss him today.”

“That's good,” Kise agrees and smiles.

In that moment, the front door bangs open.

“Whoohoo!” Alex cheers loudly, “We're gonna get drunk tonight, kids!”

 

Once the first guests arrive, the apartment fills up quickly enough. They leave the door open, so they only have to buzz people up whenever the doorbell rings. That makes everything in general easier, but it's more difficult to keep track of who's actually already there.

Kise is busy directing one of Seirin's first-years towards the bathroom because he inexplicably seems to have to throw up from something he has eaten. Maybe it's an allergy. Or one of the suspicous looking muffins the coach had forced on him before.

When he returns to the living-room, Alex is sitting on the couch with Murasakibara, Himuro squished in-between them. Predictably, Murasakibara has a huge plate sitting in his lap, filled with literally everything that could be found at the buffet. As well as some things that must've been taken straight out of Kagami's kitchen cabinets. There's also one of the strange muffins, but out of morbid curiosity Kise does not warn against them, wanting to see who proves to be superior – Aida Riko's abysmal baking skills and Murasakibara Atsushi's legendary digestion.

He should probably offer a warning, though. Because Himuro keeps sneaking food from Murasakibara's plate and if he happens to eat the muffin there's no telling what might happen. Kagami's childhood friend dying on the night he plans to confess to Kuroko does not sound terribly romantic.

Seirin's third-years bother him into revealing some embarrassing secrets about the Generation of Miracles, and after Kise makes sure that none of his former teammates are within earshot or even present at all, he starts dishing out.

“And then he told the principal 'Murasakibara ate my lucky item'!” he concludes the story about how Midorima got his first and probably last detention ever, while the senpai dissolve into giggles.

“That's nothing,” a familiar voice suddenly says from the sideline and Kise's head whips around.

“One time, his lucky item of the day was a gravure magazin, but he didn't dare go buy one,” Aomine offers an anecdote of his own, “So he asked for one of mine, but I wouldn't give it to him for free. Guess who did all of my homework for the rest of the week?”

The others laugh once more but Kise is too busy searching for an answer in Aomine's eyes.

He'd known that Kuroko would come to the party, of course, but Aomine really wouldn't have much of a reason, except if he's still playing guard dog to Kuroko.

Is this an attempt to just make light of what happened last week? Has he maybe already forgotten about it? Or is it a peace offering, a tentative hand reaching out to soothe?

Kise doesn't know but the thought itself makes him try on a smile.

“Good evening, Kagami,” Kuroko greets in that moment and Kise decides to analyze their interactions instead. Tonight is the night after all and nothing was allowed to go wrong.

“Thank you for your invitation,” the boy adds and Kagami just shrugs.

“The more the merrier,” he says and then leans closer to tap a daring finger to Kuroko's shirt, a bright, almost garish swirl of colors, “Nice shirt. Where'd you-”

But he breaks off and then doubles over in the way that, as Kise has come to learn, means he's close to dying of laughter.

“Are you alright, Kagami-kun?” Kuroko asks in obvious worry and doesn't hesitate to put a hand to Kagami's trembling back.

“Kuroko,” Kagami manages to say, though it's obviously difficult to even breathe properly, “Next time you buy a shirt with something written on it, make sure you know what it actually says.”

When Kuroko looks down at his shirt in confusion, Kise decides to butt in, reading the graffiti font on the front of his shirt.

“Let's see,” he says teasingly and translates the barely legible English words, “'Chicken Asshole Gangbang Highway Rock 'n' Roll'. - Yes, it definitely suits Kurokocchi's personality.”

It's mean of him to point it out like that, especially since everyone within earshot immediately starts laughing loudly and Kuroko flushes in humiliation. But it works out nicely because once more Kagami proves to be the knight in shining armor.

“Sorry,” he apologizes to Kuroko, “I shouldn't have pointed it out like that.”

“It's quite alright,” Kuroko says graciously, the blush still sitting high on his cheeks, “Better you than someone who might actually make fun of me.”

And that's enough to prove just how smitten Kuroko actually is with this boy because he'd never forgive anyone else nearly as easily.

“Come on,” Kagami claps him on the shoulder, “Let's see whether we can't find you something more appropriate to wear. Otherwise I'll just keep laughing whenever I look at you. Maybe Alex has something your size.”

He's already veering off towards his mentor, but Kuroko stops him.

“I do not wish to wear women's clothing,” he says and Kise has to bite down at grin at the mental images that thought evokes. Luckily, Kagami's mind is not nearly as dirty.

“I figured,” he replies, “But she sometimes wears old band shirts and jerseys and stuff. Those should fit you just fine.”

“Please just give me one of your shirts, Kagami-kun,” Kuroko pleads and at once Kagami begins to stammer.

“O-okay,” he says, “Just... let's have a look through my dresser and you can pick something out.”

Hm, Kise muses to himself. Who would've thought. Dirty mind after all.

He lets them wander off towards Kagami's bedroom and, in a feeble attempt to not be left face-to-face with Aomine, decides to play host some more. Luckily, Aomine doesn't even seem to notice Kise leaving, staring at Kuroko and Kagami's retreating backs.

It's gotten really crowded now and Kise doesn't recognize all faces from basketball matches. But he knows that Kagami has invited some of his classmates, too, so there are actually some girls beside Seirin's coach around. Speaking of the coach, where had she disappeared to?

“Taiga's finally gotten a hold of his dreamboat?” Himuro asks when Kise passes by. As far as he can tell, Himuro has been teasing Kagami mercilessly about being so helplessly in love.

With a face like that, Himuro might as well be your regular heartbreaker and probably couldn't quite fathom what someone like Kagami was going through. Though that was what other people probably thought of Kise and he wasn't exactly having an easier time making certain people fall in love with him.

“I really hope he doesn't muck it up,” Himuro lets his head fall back, “I can't stand to hear another 'his eyes are as blue as' comparison.”

“I'll bet you your Monday dessert that Kurochin will make the first move,” Murasakibara says and Himuro gives him a look, “That's not how it works, Atsushi. You can't bet me _my_ dessert.”

“You'd give it to me anyway,” Murasakibara reminds him as though it were obvious, and Kise decides that it's cue to leave.

“I'm gonna check on them,” he says and flitters off towards the hallway, barely catching Alex saying, “It's really time Taiga found himself a special someone.”

Barely five minutes must've passed since Kagami and Kuroko disappeared. Seirin's Furihata is still audibly retching in the bathroom and, damn, Kise totally forgot to tell the others about the muffins. Oh well, this mission is more important now.

Carefully, very carefully he presses down the handle of the bedroom door, just enough to push it open a tiny bit and- there.

It seems that Kagami and Kuroko haven't wasted much time on talking about their feelings and instead decided to get right down to business. Kuroko is wearing one of Kagami's huge flannel shirts and it fits him like a dress. And the manner in which he has a grip on Kagami is anything but delicate.

There are kissing, outright kissing, and Kise had to bite his lip to not laugh in giddy excitement.

Finally! One month of careful planning and pointless jealousy, only to arrive at the finish line.

Quietly he pulls back and makes his way down the hallway again, swerving into the kitchen and looking over the buffet. The stack of paper plates seems to be have diminished so he turns to open the door to the supply closet where he is sure he saw-

“Don't!” an alarmed voice calls out from behind him, but then it's already too late. Kise has opened the door, only to find Seirin's captain and coach crouched on the floor and sucking face.

So that's where she went, Kise thinks vaguely and slams the door shut again.

The rest of Seirin's third-years are gathered in the kitchen.

“Damn it,” one of them curses, “I thought they wouldn't get together before graduation.”

“I told you,” their blissfully smiling center says and then holds out a hand, “Now pay up, Koga.”

So that's Koga, Kise realizes, watching as the older boy digs for his wallet and pulls out a couple of bills, “I still wanted to go out and buy more ice, you know?”

“Ice?” Kise asks, “Why do we need ice?”

“Alex-san promised to make us cocktails,” Kiyoshi explains and then sends a wry look towards the closet, “Though I don't want to know how wild things will get once people are actually drunk.”

The other tall boy, Mitobe, gives a grave nod.

“I want cocktails,” Koga declares, “So I need ice. Anyone coming with me?”

“I can go,” Kise offers at once, “I still owe you one.”

“Huh?” Koga cocks his head to the side, “What for?”

But Kise only gives him a wink, “I'll be back in twenty.”

Fortunately it doesn't take long to find his shoes among the dozens of other pairs by the door, and then he is already skipping down the stairs and leaving the building.

It's a nice night out, pleasant and cool, the heat of the day having dissipated into a clear night sky.

The crescent moon is out, but the stars still manage to shine a tiny bit brighter, and Kise tilts back his head and takes a deep calming breath.

God, he thinks and shakes his head to himself. So many happy couples. Almost disgustingly sweet.

He can freely admit that he's jealous. Though _envious_ would probably the better word for it.

It's not like he's never imagined himself like that, in that moment of truth where his feeling are revealed and, more importantly, returned. It's all just make-belief, though.

He's done everything short of writing a love letter along the lines of 'Do you want to go out with me? Y/N', but Aomine had never given any indication of being interested in him in that way. Since the their happier days at Teiko, he hasn't given much indication of being interested in Kise at all.

That's okay, though. It's been three years now. Kise is fine with being uneasy friends, with all their hiccups and misunderstandings, as long as Aomine doesn't completely disappear from him life.

“You should watch where you are going,” a unamused voice tells him, “Without your lucky item, you might fall into an open gully.”

“Midorimacchi,” Kise whines at once, just as another voice chimes in, “Shin-chan, you walked into a glass door yesterday.”

“It was an unlucky day for Cancer,” Midorima reminds his companion and pushes his glasses up the bridge of his nose, before giving Kise a closer look, “Is this alleged party truly so abysmal that even you are fleeing the sinking ship?”

“Just getting crushed ice,” Kise quips, “For the cocktails.”

“Oh my God, there's alcohol,” Takao looks wickedly delighted and immediately starts tugging Midorima down the road, “We're gonna get you drunk, Shin-chan.”

“Takao, no,” Midorima tries in vain as he is dragged along and sends Kise a pleading look. Kise just wriggles his fingers in a little wave and mouths a silent 'bye bye'.

When he continues down the road, he feels lighter somehow. Life goes on. Tonight's a good night. He's gonna have a cocktail or two and maybe get a little drunk. That's what you do when you're mourning lost love, right?

He hasn't quite made it to the 24/7 supermarket, but he can already see its lights farther down the road, when something stops him in his tracks.

“Kise!” Aomine calls out from the distance, so utterly unexpected that Kise doesn't even think twice about waiting for him to close the last distance between them.

“Aominecchi,” he asks in surprise, watching as Aomine regains his bearings, “Is there something else we need? You could've just called.”

But Aomine just shakes his head.

“I need-” he starts, still strangely out of breath after what must've been a rather short run, “I need to apologize.

“No, wait,” he amends, “I _want_ to apologize.”

Kise's brow furrows because he doesn't think he's ever heard Aomine apologize to anyone, safe for Momocchi maybe, “What for?”

“For being an asshole,” Aomine says as though it were obvious, “Last Saturday. And all the other times.”

At that, Kise cannot help but laugh, “Oh. It's okay. I'm used to that.”

To his surprise, though, Aomine gives him this oddly naked look, not just vulnerable, but already wounded, and then he starts chewing on his lower lip, a nervous habit Kise hasn't seen since middle school.

“I'm not... good... with all that stuff,” Aomine tries to explain and it's readily apparent in his lack of eloquence, “With friendship and feeling and whatever. So when I'm confused, I get angry.”

Yeah, Kise has seen a lot of that throughout the years. Aomine's anger is very rarely directed at other people, but mostly a reaction to himself and his inability to cope with his other feelings.

So Kise allows himself a soothing chuckle, hoping to ease the tension Aomine must be feeling, “It's not like I can judge, of course, but I think we both know you were never much of a thinker.”

“Yeah,” Aomine luckily takes it for the gentle ribbing it is and listlessly kicks against the pavement, “And... I'm sorry you had to witness that just now.”

“Hm?” Kise has no idea what he is talking about, “Witness what?”

“You know,” Aomine hedges, “The kiss.”

“Oh yeah,” Kise shudders at the memory, “Could've done without that. Apparently their team already had a bet running on when they would finally get together.”

“What?” Aomine looks downright disgusted, “That's fucked up.”

Admittedly, Kise doesn't quite understand that strong a reaction.

“Well, Teppei used to date Riko, and Hyuga is his best friend,” Kise recalls what he remembers from his conversations with Kagami and the bits he caught at the party today, “So they have his blessings.”

“Wait,” Aomine stops him, “Seirin's coach and captain?”

“Yeah,” Kise nods, “I found them making in the broom closet before you arrived. Actually, I think they might still be in there.”

“What the fuck,” Aomine grimaces, “No, I'm talking about Tetsu and Bakagami.”

“Oh,” Kise realizes and smiles, “I know, right? Isn't that wonderful?”

Yet Aomine only looks at him in askance, “You're happy you just got cheated on?”

Right. He'd totally forgotten about that.

“Silly me,” he says, “You probably thought I was really dating Kagamicchi.”

He'd assumed that all along, of course, on an abstract level. That Aomine was playing best friend again because Kuroko was feeling abandoned. Of course Kuroko would have told him of his fears. Of course Aomine would take the dating thing at face value.

So now Kise can practically read the slow thought progress off Aomine's face.

“So you... weren't?” he asks finally, carefully.

“Of course not,” Kise laughs at how absurd that would be, “It was just a ploy to make Kurokocchi jealous.”

But Aomine only stares, “... That's the stupidest thing I've ever heard.”

Kise shrugs it off, though, feeling too accomplished after the success of the evening, “It worked, didn't it?”

“Why the hell would you get involved in something like that?” Aomine demands because he obviously doesn't watch the same kind of movies Kise does.

“Kagamicchi was so miserable, always pining after Kurokocchi,” he tries to make it more conceivable, “I just wanted to help.”

Because I wish someone had helped me back then, he thinks but doesn't say it. I wish you had realized that I meant something to you. I just wish I meant something to you at all.

Aomine, however, is not easily deterred.

“Then why'd you kiss him?” he asks sharply, though Kise has no idea what he is talking about.

“Huh? What do you mean?”

“Last week at Seirin,” Aomine elaborates, “You were kissing Kagami.”

Kise is floored. Kise did not- One single mistake, one moment of insanity, and it comes back to haunt him like this.

“You- you saw that?” he asks needlessly. Of course he'd seen that. Kuroko must've, too, they were leaving the gym together after all, and Kise had just hunkered down near the gate, there for everyone to see, so of course Aomine had seen all that.

“Yeah,” he says now, making a show of crossing his arms as if to underline his disbelief, “And apparently you didn't want anyone else to see. Doesn't quite fit your whole scheme, does it?”

“That was just a... misstep on my part,” Kise tries to defend himself, “I already apologized to Kagamicchi.”

And bless Kagami for being so understanding, for not blowing it out of proportions, for being such a wonderfully reliable friend.

“Then why'd you do it in the first place?” Aomine still wants to know and Kise cannot look him in the eye, tugging at his fringe instead.

“I just... needed an impromptu pick-me-up,” he admits, though it pains him still, “I guess I was just feeling a bit unappreciated, and then Kagamicchi was being so nice, and... well.”

It's not really good as far as explanations for kisses go, but Aomine finally seems to accept it.

“So,” Aomine is tugging at the bandages around his wrist that Kise is only noticing just now, though he's been wondering about the band aid on his cheek all evening.

After all, Aomine wasn't really clumsy enough to get hurt. Aomine didn't make mistakes.

His thoughts going off on a tangent like that, he almost misses what the other boy says next.

“Assuming I try to be nicer to you as well from now on... is there a chance you might kiss me, too?”

Oh. Everything comes to a screeching stop as Kise's brain immediately translates that into what it must really mean: If we become friends again, will you start hitting on me, too?

“Don't worry,” he says, his voice flat in the face of all of his worries coming true, “You have nothing to fear from me.”

Before he manages to turn around, however, Aomine makes a grab for his hand, holding him tightly.

“Dammit,” he curses, sounding infuriated, “No matter what I try to say, it always comes out wrong.”

“Please stop, Aominecchi,” Kise half-heartedly tries to pull free, “You are hurting me.”

The pain is not physical, though, not really, safe for a blunt, heavy ache in his chest, a dull pulse against his ribs. Yet he is surprised when Aomine actually does let him go. But he apparently still isn't done talking.

“I'm in love with you,” Aomine says vehemently and lunges at Kise.

Out of reflex, Kise jerks back before the words even register to his brain, bringing his hands up between them, even as he feels Aomine's mouth damp and warm at his temple.

“W-what?” he stutters out, the ground falling from under his feet, “Aominecchi?”

Yet Aomine is still holding him in his arms now, lose enough that Kise could break free if he wanted to. He should try to, should want to. He doesn't, though, just remains standing like this, his head pulled back a little to he can stare at Aomine in utter incomprehension.

“I'm in love with you, Kise,” Aomine repeats and slowly, slowly the words become more real, regain their actual meaning. Yet Kise blinks, still not understanding, because why- when-

“Have been for a while I guess,” Aomine continues, more of a mumble now and definitely embarrassed, “And... it's not just jealousy, okay. I don't just want you so that Kagami can't have you. I actually, really... love you. Fuck.”

And Kise has gotten love confessions by the dozens, has had flowers thrust had him and chocolates and perfumed letters, has had poetry recited at him and once even gently rejected a very arduous marriage proposal. And yet Aomine manages to put into that single swear word all the emotion that Kise had always been dreaming of.

“Aominecchi,” he whispers, his throat dry. Automatically, his eyes drop down to Aomine's lips, tightly pursed in expectation, and they are so close, so incredibly close they could-

“Can I kiss you again?” Aomine asks huskily and the sound of his voice sends shivers along Kise's spine, right down to this tailbone.

Kise doesn't reply. Not with words at least. Instead he just dips his head forward, closes his eyes and does what he has been on-and-off dreaming about for the past three years.

And Aomine is warm from running, warm from his blush, or maybe he is just plain warm, so Kise kisses him and kisses him and licks into his mouth, until their kisses putter off into little pecks, until Kise is able to think again and cannot stop a little laugh from escaping.

He rests his forehead on Aomine's shoulder as his own body shakes silently because really, this is ridiculous.

“What?” Aomine asks at length, maybe starting to doubt his kissing abilities. He doesn't have to. He's a wonderful kisser, and even if he weren't Kise wouldn't even mind.

“It's just so funny,” Kise replies quietly, “That all this time Kagamicchi and I were trying to make Kurokocchi jealous, but then we ended up making you jealous as well.”

Because that, finally, is the explanation for Aomine's behaviorr these past weeks, isn't it? Not solidarity for Kuroko's sake. Not general dislike of Kagami and even of Kise. Aomine had simply been jealous.

And as he had said, when he doesn't understand his own emotions, he gets angry.

God, Kise thinks and recalls all of the yelling, the glaring, the ill-chosen words, What an idiot.

Of course, he'd been an idiot, too, for not recognizing the signs either. But he'd just stopped believing that he really stood a chance with Aomine. He'd been so focused on trying to get Kuroko and Kagami together that he had totally ignored his own heart's best interests. He'd thought survival was all there was for him now, survival and eventually moving on.

“Can't complain,” Aomine says, apparently not minding the rocky road that has led to this blissful moment, “It worked, didn't it?”

“Two birds, one stone,” Kise agrees and allows himself a tiny bit of pride in this, “I'm so smart.”

“Let's not get ahead of ourselves, now,” Aomine teases and Kise snorts and pushes his head out of his face, entangles himself from his arms.

“Let's go back,” Aomine prompts and looks somewhat chagrined, “I need to apologize to Kagami, too.”

“What for?” Kise asks in surprise.

“I sort of punched him in the face when I thought he was cheating on you,” Aomine confesses ruefully, and despite the fact that Kise feels bad that Kagami got caught up in all of this he just has to laugh again, “Protecting my virtue, Aominecchi?”

“And my own,” Aomine pouts, “Maybe the bastard just has a thing for the Miracles. After Tetsu, I might be next.”

The mental images that pop into Kise's head at that should not be discussed under any circumstances, so he just tries to smooth over the blush in his face, “And what a sight that would be. …We still need to go to the supermarket, though.”

Aomine frowns, “What for?”

“We need ice for the party,” Kise reminds him of the reason why he had even left in the first place and Aomine blinks a little.

“Oh,” he says, “I thought that was just an excuse to get away for a while.”

It's surprisingly insightful for him, and Kise smiles at that.

“That, too,” he admits, “But mostly because Alex-san promised to make cocktails.”

He takes a moment to look at Aomine then. At his brown skin and blue eyes, the relaxed curve of his mouth and his brow that is strangely absent of its usual frown, but still has that perpetual furrow wedged between his eyebrows.

“By the way,” Kise says and runs a careful finger over the band aid that cover's Aomine's sharp cheekbone, “What happened here?”

Aomine just shrugs, “I fell of my skateboard.”

Kise isn't even sure whether Aomine knows how to ride a bicycle, so this is a bit of an odd thing to hear, “You know how to handle a skateboard?”

“No,” Aomine says quietly, gently, “But I'm starting to learn.”

Kise doesn't know what he means by that, doesn't know why he says it in such a profound way, but it makes something in his chest clench and burst.

He wants to say something like he's going to buy a skateboard, too, just so he can get better at it than Aomine and finally beat him at something. He wants to tease him for being a klutz about everything that isn't basketball.

“Good,” he says instead and nods, “That's good.”

And, all things considered, it really is.

 

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Because this was Kise's POV there was quite some overlap towards the end with Aomine's chapter, but Kagami will be next and that'll offer more insight on what's been going on at the KagaKuro front. So I hope things are not gonna get too repetitive.  
> You might think that Kise's feelings for Aomine are a little vague in this chapter but that's because I want to try and describe everyone's relations by how the others see them.  
> Kudos of if you think Kagami is a sweety and would totally be the best boyfriend in the world, no matter what pairing. ;-)


	3. Kagami

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I am so sorry for the insanely long wait! For some reason this chapter was really difficult to write and I am still not happy with it AT ALL, but what the hell, it's finished, so I might as well let you read it.  
> Hope you enjoy this mess.

It's not like Kagami had needed confirmation that all members of the Generation of Miracles were totally removed from reality. He had always thought that Kuroko was pretty normal in comparison, and that was saying something.

But now he knows, without a doubt, that Kise is definitely the craziest of them all.

As if Kuroko would get jealous, he scoffs mentally, even as he texts Kise back under his table. And yet, he is intensely aware of Kuroko's presence, sitting at the desk just behind him.

It's really strange, he thinks, how falling in love finally turned out to be the thing that managed to break through all of Kuroko's tricks of misdirection.

However, it's not so strange that thinking about Kuroko is enough to distract him from class until Ogihara-sensei finally notices.

“And what are you smiling about?” she asks, suddenly standing in front of him and holding out her hand in demand for his phone, “Hm?”

Kagami ducks his head and stammers out a non-answer, but relinquishes the thing easily enough. For the rest of the lesson he feels like everyone knows exactly what – or rather, who – he had been smiling about so stupidly. It doesn't exactly make it easier to pay attention to whatever Ogihara-sensei is talking about up front.

“Who were you texting, Kagami-kun?” Kuroko asks after class when Kagami has profoundly apologized to their teacher and gotten his phone back. His tone his bland, with just a hint of something else underneath. Kagami would peg it as a judgmental reaction to his lack of manners, but now that Kise has given him ideas, he cannot help but hope that it's really jealousy.

“Uh,” he flounders for a moment, “No one.”

Aaand Kuroko's gaze is definitely turning judgmental now, especially as Kagami starts typing away at his phone once more, sending off a quick apology to Kise.

“I did not know that Kagami-kun was still immature enough to entertain imaginary friends,” Kuroko remarks, “Or that they were able to pay phone bills.”

“Uh,” Kagami says again, but then Kuroko is already turning away, “I'm going to buy some milk. Don't wait up for me before class.”

Kagami really doesn't think that Kise's plan is going to work.

 

After school and training that day, he buys the damn photo-book, just as Kise had instructed, and he tries to ignore the judgmental stare of the cashier.

He's not really sure what a photo-book really is, but as he flips through it while cooking dinner, it turns out that it's rather eponymous. It's a book solely dedicated to photos of Kise, all glossy pages and bubblegum colors, interview snippets here and there, Kise with blinding smiles, with pouting lips, with shuttered eyes.

And Kagami had known that Kise was a model but it's different to actually see proof of it, apart from his screaming fangirls. Here is a Kise who looks mature and elegant, who wears suits and silk scarves and advertises perfume.

But Kagami has gone up against him in one-one-ones and full-blown matches. He knows what Kise looks like sweaty and red-faced and out of breath. Knows what he smells like, too, and it's no better than any other teenager.

He doesn't feel like Kise's modeling persona is totally divorced from his real personality, he's seen too many of his cutesy faces to believe that, but he's also long since known that there is a determination and a ruthlessness to Kise that is at odds with the little quotation bubble on page 14 that says “It's not about winning, but about always doing your best!”

Thoughtfully, Kagami stirs his chopsticks through the boiling water, impressed by the little tidbits of information the photo-book discloses, like the fact that “Kise Ryouta has been modeling since he was eleven.”

He recalls that one of Alex's friends back in LA had been a model. She seemed to always be on a diet, always seemed to be working, always running from one job to the next. 'It's like basketball,' she'd told him once, tapping a manicured finger against his nose, 'You have to keep yourself in shape and your head in the game. Otherwise no one will ever remember you.'

And Kagami can understand why one would do that for basketball. But for modeling? And on top of school as well? Ridiculous.

In that moment, his phone vibrates in his pocket.

 _Did you buy the book?_ Kise asks.

 _Yes_ , Kagami replies, _Just read through it._

 _You're supposed to read it in school so Kurokocchi can see!_ Kise reminds him.

Oh.

 _Right_ , Kagami types, _Just got bored while cooking._

 _You cook?_ Kise asks.

_Yeah, I live alone, so._

_Interesting_ , Kise muses, _We can work with that._

Kagami really does not want to find out what that is supposed to mean.

 

“Tatsuya,” Kagami groans as he throws himself down on the bed, arm slung over his face, phone pressed to his ears, “Help me.”

There's a brief moment of silence and then Tatsuya mutters, “Not this again.”

“Huh?” Kagami asks intelligently.

“You're talking in English,” Tatsuya replies in the same language, “Which means you want to talk about feelings.”

“No, I-”

“You always use English when you want to talk about that boy,” Tatsuya sighs, “And let me guess, you're currently sitting in front of the TV and shoveling ice cream into your mouth.”

“No,” Kagami says defensively.

“Then you're lying on the bed and pitying yourself.”

“... No,” he claims and quickly sits up, leaning against the headboard.

Tatsuya sighs again.

“Okay, lay it on me,” he says, apparently having accepted his fate, “Tell me about your dreamboat.”

“He's not my dreamboat!” Kagami splutters, quite relieved that Tatsuya can't see him blush, “He's just... It's not my fault he has nice eyes and... and that he's sort of... endearingly compact.”

“Are you saying you feel protective of him because he's short?” Tatsuya asks doubtfully.

“No,” Kagami hurries to say because he doesn't. If there is one thing Kuruko doesn't need it's protection. He's really fierce in his own way after all. Kagami's got brawns and bravado, after all, but Kuruko has _fire_.

“He's stronger than he looks,” Kagami muses, “Like, he can slap me around and manhandle me like no one's business, I mean-”

“Oh my God,” Tatsuya moans down the line, “TMI, man.”

“Not like that!” Kagami bursts out, his face flaming. Because whenever his mind goes down the gutter and actually tries to imagine himself with Kuroko, there is always a lot of kissing and cuddling involved.

Kissing... The mere thought has him pluck up the collar of his shirt and hide the lower half of his face in it in embarrassment.

“You're hopeless,” Tatsuya snorts, “Just tell him how you feel. I bet he's head-over-heels for you, too.”

Kagami bites his lower lip, “Kise said so, too.”

He can practically hear Tatsuya frown, “What the hell does Kise have to do with anything?”

“He, uh, is helping me get with Kuroko,” Kagami admits, shamefaced.

“Helping you how?” Tatsuya demands, suspicion clear in his voice.

“Er, we- we're trying to make him jealous,” Kagami mutters into his shirt collar, eyes rolled to the ceiling, “By fake dating.”

There is a long moment of silence.

“I'm not putting up with this shit,” Tatsuya says in exasperation, “I thought the worst the States did to you is give you bad table manners. But here you are, lovelorn like a romcom reject. If you ever feel like waxing lyricals about your partner again, do me a favor and call your new boyfriend instead.”

And he hangs up.

 

Tatsuya might be disinclined to share in Kagami's suffering, but he's got Kise texting him at all hours of the day instead. Kagami would have thought he'd be annoyed by it but when he sits at home alone he actually enjoys his little sessions of banter whenever Kise sends him a message.

Kagami is not much of a conversationalist, but when it's texting he has a bit more time to think of an answer and people can't see him fumble around, so he feels a little more at ease, even if Kise's use of emojis gives him a bit a whiplash at times.

But it's nice, in a way. Kagami would never have expected to get along with Kise so easily, even when they are not talking about basketball. Initially, the texting had been a means to give Kise further ideas for the jealously plan, but sometimes they drift off and talk about different stuff instead.

Eventually Kagami even gets his answer how Kise even manages to model when he has school in the morning, training in the afternoon, and studying and a social life in the evening.

 _If my fans knew what I looked like without make-up...,_ he reads blearily when he receives a text message at four in the morning.

What the hell, he thinks and opens the attached photo. It's a selfie of Kise, disheveled with sleep and looking somewhat pale, a faint blue tinge around his eyes.

What the hell, he thinks again and, following some sleep-drunk impulse, googles a picture of a baboon's butt to send it to Kise in response, only to promptly fall asleep again.

Two hours he's still in bed but rouses when his phone rings again.

 _Tadaa~,_ Kise cheers and there's another picture, this time of him making a cutesy face, glossy hair and eyeliner and all, and... is that lipgloss?

Kagami upgrades him to a baboon's face instead.

 

“What are you reading, Kagami?” Emi-chan from his class ask curiously, leaning over his shoulder.

“Nothing,” Kagami says quickly, trying to hide the magazine with his arms.

“Non-sense,” she pushes his hand out of the way, his sweaty palm crinkling the paper, “That's Kiseryo-kun's new interview, isn't it?”

“Oh my God,” her friend Momo-chan is immediately by her side, “I haven't bought it yet. What does it say?”

“Um,” nervously Kagami glances down at the magazine, but at leas the girls do not seem to find it weird that he would be reading it, “He's scared of earthworms.”

“I knew that already,” Emi waves him off, “Does it say whether he has a girlfriend? He never gives a straight-forward answer on that one.”

“He says he has someone he likes,” Kagami mumbles and irrationally finds himself embarrassed by it, because he wonders whether Kise meant him by that, another puzzle piece of this whole scheme.

“Do you know who it is?” Emi wonders, “You know him, right?”

Kagami blinks, “Er, yeah. How do you know that?”

She shrugs, “I saw some of your games. I heard Kuroko used to be on the same team as Kiseryo-kun. Maybe we should ask him.”

“Ask me what?” Kuroko asks in that moment and they all jump in surprise.

“Kuroko,” Momo smiles sweetly, “You're friends with Kise Ryouta, right? Do you know who his special someone is?”

Kuroko is silent for a long moment, not even blinking.

“We're not that close anymore,” he claims instead and goes to sit on his desk, nose buried in a novel.

 

After class, he and Kise end up texting again. Once more, Kagami is hyper-aware of Kuroko at his back, but Kise seems intent on wanting to step up their game.

 _What are you doing tomorrow evening?_ he asks.

 _I got a test, so I should be studying with Kuroko_ , he responds. But he has a feeling that not only would Kise disapprove as it would ruin their tactic, but that Kuroko himself would be rather disinclined.

 _You're having dinner with me_ , Kise tells him, _You're a good cook, right?_

Kagami frowns because while he had indeed admitted that he often cooked for himself he had never claimed to be very good.

_How do you know that?_

Kise's explanation comes quickly enough and sends a rush of heat to Kagami's face.

_You talk a lot about Kurokocchi, but he talks a lot about you, too, you know that?_

For a moment, Kagami can do nothing but stare at his phone.

Of course Kuroko would talk about him, he tries to reason it away. They are friends, after all, and friends come up in conversations with other people. It doesn't mean anything. Sure, Kuroko had sometime commended him for being a decent cook. But that was usually when in comparison to Coach, so it wasn't really a ringing endorsement. And it wasn't like Kuroko even knew what he was talking about, milkshake fanatic that he was.

 _Oh,_ Kagami types simply, trying to distract himself, _Okay. Come to my place at six. I'll text you my address._

It's been a while since he had anyone new over at his place. It's also been a while since he met up with Kuroko, just the two of them, for extra training, for studying, for playing video games and eating fast food and going for walks with Nigou and just hanging out and-

This is all part of the plan, he reminds himself. I just have to be patient.

 

Kise appears at his door at six sharp and Kagami finds himself strangely pleased that there is something he can actually surprise the model with. Because when Kise had heard he lived alone he'd probably been imagining one of those sad one-room apartments downtown with bad plumbing and bad neighbors, not dark wood floors and a chrome kitchen, everything well-kept and in order.

Most of all, however, Kise seems to be impressed by all the clothes Kagami owns. Which is saying something, considering that Kise ought to be the least fazed by fashion.

While Kise valiantly digs through the wardrobe on the quest for a nice outfit, Kagami flees back into the kitchen to finish preparing dinner.

“I just love shopping,” Kagami confesses when Kise asks about the mostly untouched pieces of clothing, “But when I try to actually dress nicely, I feel stupid. Like a mannequin.”

And it wasn't even like he had a lot of opportunities for it anyway. There was his school uniform and his jersey and any old gym clothes whose condition he couldn't care less about. When he went out it was generally directly after school, so even then he was still wearing his uniform. And what was the point of dressing up for going to Maji Burger or watching a movie or going for a walk with Nigou and Kuroko?

They sit down in the dining room and once more Kise glances around curiously.

“Have you ever cooked like this for Kurokocchi?” he asks, his eyebrows creeping up his hairline as he takes in the sight of the meal.

For a moment, Kagami considers this, considers the indie music playing in the background, the set table, the chicken on the plates and the dessert in the fridge, the low light and the comfortable knowledge that they would banter over dinner and then get stuck on the couch and watch stupid game shows or play with Nigou or quiz each other for their history test or try to improve Kuroko's abysmal English by trying to secretly teach him swearwords but then caving every time and admitting that 'Hey, dickwad' was not an acceptable formal greeting in America.

“Sure,” he says, lifting his shoulders a little, scratching his cheek, “All the time.”

Kise looks somewhat bemused, but then lets out a soft sigh, “No wonder he fell for you.”

“That- I- he's not-” Kagami tries to say, both his native tongues spectacularly failing him, because Kise cannot treat this like a fact, like he absolutely knows that anyone, least of all Kuroko, would have any sort of romantic inclinations towards someone like Kagami.

Luckily, Kise saves him from any more embarrassment.

“Itadakimasu!” he says and then whips out his phone to snap a picture of his plate.

Kagami stares, “What was that for?”

“I'll explain later,” Kise says and offer a mysterious smile.

  
  


Later turns out to be when Kagami has been dressed in a shirt he didn't know he owned and jeans he thinks are much too tight. Kise has also done something to his hair that makes his forehead feel exposed, and in Japan he already sticks out like a sore thumb, but this is even worse.

Still, when the doorbell rings just like Kise had predicted, he just takes a deep breath and goes to open it.

Instead of just Kuroko, however, he also comes face to face with Aomine. Automatically, he moves his body so that he is blocking the entrance.

“Kagami-kun,” Kuroko speaks up first, his voice soft and polite, “May we come in?”

“Ah,” Kagami hedges, “Now is sort of a bad time.”

“And why is that?” Kuroko wants to know, tilting his head to the side.

“I kind of have someone over,” Kagami says and then freaks a little because that sounds like he has a sex date or something, but then Aomine is already pushing forward, pushing past him into the apartment.

“We know that it's Kise,” he growls and Kagami lets him go, rooted to the spot because he cannot interpret Kuroko's expression.

And Kuroko's face is blank at the best of time but now it is positively waxen, too smooth to pick out any telling details. He still doesn't say anything, nothing at all, just looks up at Kagami with those big eyes of his, like pools of blue that Kagami could drown on, only that right now it does not sound like the most pleasant of fates.

They remain at a stalemate until Aomine's raised voice from inside finally has Kagami give himself a push to go and save Kise.

“Then why are you still here?” Aomine demands of Kise who just shrugs him off in an overly careless manner, “To talk. And stuff.”

“Stuff,” Kuroko says blandly and Kagami jerks because he had not noticed that the other boy was right behind him, “Kagami-kun, don't you have a test to study for?”

“Yeah,” Kagami says awkwardly, clearing his throat, “Kise's helping me study.”

That, at least, makes Kuroko frown, “His grades are probably worse than yours.”

“But I've developed a very effective reward system,” Kise pipes up from the couch and Kuroko stills.

Then, he turns around abruptly.

“If you fail, I will never help you with homework again,” he warns, but somehow it sounds petty and petulant instead. Still, Kagami can only stare at Kuroko's feet, the scuff marks he leaves on the floor because he did not take off his shoes when he entered, like he had forgotten, like his manners were less important that following after Kagami as quickly as possible.

“Thanks for having me,” he adds, almost in an afterthought, and then he is already out the door.

Aomine is right behind him and slams it loudly, just for good measure.

Kagami remains behind, confused.

“Was it supposed to happen like this?” he asks Kise when he gingerly sits down next to him on the couch.

“Well, Aominecchi was an unexpected factor,” the model admits quietly, but then seems to shake himself, “But did you finally see how jealous Kurokocchi is?”

Kagami stares down at his knees, bites the inside of his cheek, “He's just annoyed because if I fail my classes I'll have to sit out during basketball.”

“Kagamicchi,” Kise says, sounding surprisingly gentle, “Kurokocchi likes you for more than just your skills at basketball.”

He sure has a great way of showing it, Kagami thinks but doesn't say it.

  
  


The rest of the evening turns out to be surprisingly entertaining. Kagami actually gets some studying done and Kise is confident that Kuroko will soon cave. That is, if Kagami himself doesn't give in first.

In school the next day, his feeble attempts to hide the hickey with a palm cupped to his neck only serve to draw more attention to it.

Kuroko spots it just before class and his blue eyes widen marginally, transfixed. He doesn't say anything but during the next hours while Kuroko sits behind him Kagami can feel his intense gaze piercing through his back.

Kagami knows that the only viable explanation for him to have gotten between last night and this morning would be that Kise left it there. And that's exactly how the plan is supposed to work, so Kagami has to chew on the end of his pencil to keep himself from turning around and just blurting out, It was a bottle! Kise put that hickey there with a bottle!

Some of his classmates snicker behind their hands when they spot the red bruise, but fortunately no one says anything. Kagami still blushes furiously.

That afternoon, however, turns out to be less lucky because as soon as he steps into the gym he feels like everyone's eyes are on him. The collar of his school uniform had mostly hidden then incriminating evidence, but in his jersey it is laid bare for all the world to see.

The Captain has a bit of a pinched expression, Kiyoshi-sempai claps him on the back good-naturedly, and Coach frowns a little, glancing between him and Kuroko who is standing way, way off to the side.

Koganei-sempai, of course, shows less restraint.

“Whoa, Kagami!” he boggles, going so far as to stand on his tiptoes to get a closer look, “Is that a hickey?”

“No!” Kagami claims at once, slapping his hand back over it.

“It really looks like one, though,” his upperclassman claims, “And you look embarrassed, too. Do you have a girlfriend?”

“No!” Kagami repeats, realizes that it may imply that he has a boyfriend instead and blushes even harder.

Koga's eyes are round like dinner plates, but before he can say anything else the blissful shriek of Coach's whistles cuts through the air.

“Warm-up!” she calls out, “Sixty laps round the gym! Full speed!”

“Sixty?!” Koga yelps and she sends him a glare.

“Alright,” she amends, “Eighty!”

Everyone groans but obediently shuffles into motion. As usual, Kagami runs at the front of their little procession. As not-so-usual, Kuroko is not there by his side, trying to keep up.

In fact, Kuroko isn't even pretending to run full speed, and Kagami passes by him so many times that he suspects the other boy barely ran half of what the coach ordered. Still, Kuroko doesn't glance at him, not even once.

Kagami tells himself he isn't hurt.

 

There are a lot of questions Kagami has been asking himself.

Does Kuroko really have feelings for him? Would he be inclined to act on them or is he just waiting for them to go away? Is he actually jealous of Kise and Kagami's fake relationship? If he is convinced that they are dating, would he dare to interfere? What kind of shitty movies does Kise watch that he would come up with such an idea?

Kagami has also been wondering whether maybe Kise is channeling his own feelings. Because Kagami is no genius, but he's not exactly stupid either.

He had always thought that Kise's strange fixation on Aomine was only fueled by basketball, but since they had gotten closer he's been getting the hunch that maybe Kise is primarily helping him out because he is not unfamiliar with the concept of unrequited love.

Which... ugh.

Kise is a cool guy to be around, funny, polite, agreeable, if a little obnoxious at times. Aomine, one the other hand, is the equivalent of a nest of hornets. Leave it alone and you'll probably be fine but touch it and you should best run for your life.

It's not like Kise has outright admitted anything, maybe not even to himself, but there is this hopeless look in his eyes, this acceptance, this staring up at the moon and knowing that it's too far away to ever reach, but still grateful to be allowed to bask in its light.

Aw, crap, Kagami thinks. If Aomine is Kise's light then love is a really fucked up thing. That is if your partner telling you that you are their light has anything to do with love. Kagami isn't so sure on that one yet. Buddies certainly didn't do that in America, but the Japanese are by turns either horribly constipated or weirdly emotive.

Though _emotive_ probably wasn't the best word to describe Kuroko.

As it turns out, however, the few emotions Kuroko does let leak out from time to time are only the tip of the iceberg.

 

Kagami is not allowed to play during the training match against Touou, but neither is Kuroko. Instead, Coach has decided to let the other second-years and their new first-years have a taste of what playing against an elite school feels like.

Touou's coach seems to be following a similar strategy because, while the new brickwall-faced captain and the shy one with the cute face are on the field, Aomine is sitting out. Judging by what Kuroko had mentioned in the past, it's probably a surprise that Aomine is present in the first place. Apparently, his attitude towards team play had really improved after his loss against Seirin.

So Kagami would like to blame Aomine's dark aura on the fact that he must be pissed about them being benched out now instead of facing each other again, but he has a feeling that it's more to do with how Kise first gave Kagami a wholly unnecessary but very pleasant massage and is now sitting entirely too close to him for anyone to feign oblivion.

Kuroko is definitely seething, some of Touou's players are whispering and pointing, and after the match is finally over Furihata and Fukuda send him confused looks.

“When did you and Kise get so close?” Fukuda asks when they are back in the changing room and Kagami's brow furrows.

“Is that a crime?” he growls.

“No, no,” Furihata hurries to say, waving his hand about, only to be interrupted by Fukuda.

“It is, if it means Kuroko looks like he is about to go on a killing spree,” he points out.

“Uh,” Kagami says because he doesn't have a good retort for that. If the others are noticing that Kuroko has seemed a little off lately, then maybe Kise's theory wasn't as nuts as Kagami had assumed.

It was only that Kagami had hoped for a little more kissing and a little less killing.

“We'll sort it out,” Kagami promises and Fukuda gives a satisfied nod.

“Can't have Seirin's shadow and light losing their touch,” he says seriously and Kagami can't help but think about touching Kuroko in an entirely different manner.

Speaking of Kuroko... where had he disappeared to again?

For a moment, Kagami freezes, praying fervently that the other boy hadn't been standing right beside them during the entire conversation, but a quick look around reveals that he is indeed no longer in the locker room.

Which turns out to be not exactly better because when Kagami returns to where Kise promised to wait for him, he finds Aomine and Kuroko already there with him.

“Kagamicchi!” Kise calls out in that moment, “Kurokocchi is calling me fat!”

“Huh?” Kagami says brightly because that is definitely not a scenario he had ever envisioned before.

“Do you think I'm fat?” Kise complains, puffing up his chest and sucking in his stomach like a child would, his face going red with lack of breath.

“Jesus, you're a fucking model,” Kagami mutters to himself, quiet and in English, so Kise only tilts his head to the side, “What was that, Kagamicchi?”

“I said you're fine as you are,” Kagami claims more loudly, but somehow that sounds even worse, and he pulls an embarrassed grimace, which only intensifies when Kise is suddenly sidling up with him and purrs, “I have to say, you're not so bad yourself, Kagamicchi.”

“Kise-kun,” Kuroko pipes up in that moment and there's some of that strange note in his voice, like a volcano about to erupt, “Please refrain from trying to wrap Kagami-kun around your finger.”

“But, Kurokocchi,” Kise objects, “I just want to be friends with him.”

Suddenly, Kagami remembers about how Kuroko has already gotten a little weird about his relationship with Tatsuya, or with Alex, for that matter. So this was probably the wrong thing to say.

“I know what your attempt at making friends look like,” Kuroko points out icily and in a manner that implies a whole lot more than what he is saying, “And you won't succeed here either.”

Kagami doesn't quite know what's going on, but next to him he can feel Kise stiffen and that is enough to tell him that whatever thinly veiled barb Kuroko had just thrown had definitely hit bulls eye.

To his surprise, however, Kise only lifts on hand and places it firmly on his shoulder.

“But I guess I already have,” he claims and Kagami is confused because this sounds like something more, sounds like Kise is actually staking his claim and pushing Kuroko away.

Face-wise Kuroko seems unfazed. It's only his words that betray the depth of how railed up he really is.

“Kise-kun has always been an attention seeker,” he claims, “To make up for everything he lacks.”

Woah. That's harsh. And Kagami knows that Kuroko was not known for pulling his punches, literally or figuratively, but that was doubtlessly going too far, too far for what could still be brushed off as sharp banter.

“Not everyone likes to fade into the background all the time,” Kise shoots back as though he had not pointed out time and time again how much he admired and even envied Kuroko.

Furiously, Kagami tries to think of something to say, something to make light of the moment and get everyone to lower their weapon, but unfortunately he has forgotten about the forth party who's been standing in the background this whole time and watching silently.

“Don't mind him,” Aomine drawls, giving Kuroko a small shrug, “He's just a pretty face. It's not like anyone's actually gonna be interested in him.”

What the fuck, Kagami thinks because what the hell are they? Pubescent girls with self-esteem issues, trying to pick others apart to make themselves feel more whole?

Kise's reply turns out to be just as petty and desperate.

“At least I do have a pretty face,” he says with a slapdash smile, turning on the spot and making his way towards the doors with quick stride, head held high.

“That was unnecessary, Aomine-kun,” Kuroko says quietly, sounding like much of the fight had gone out of him, either with Aomine's words or Kise's escape, but Kagami doesn't pay it any heed. Instead, he is already upon Aomine, slamming him up against one of the walls.

“You bastard,” he growls, shaking him by the collar, “Kise is a better guy than you could ever hope to be!”

There's a flicker of something across Aomine's face, nor fear or fervor, more like remorse maybe, but Kagami doesn't stay to identify long enough to identify it. He sends Kuroko a disappointed glance and then hurries after Kise.

It takes a few minutes, but he eventually finds him sitting by the wire-fence surrounding the premises, knees pulled up to his chest, face hidden between his arms.

He must have been crying, Kagami thinks and dreads it a little because he had no idea how to handle crying people. So he just slides down next to Kise, looking straight ahead instead of at the other boy.

“I reckon that wasn't part of the plan,” he muses, and if his shoulder touches Kise then that's totally a coincidence an no attempt at comforting him or whatever.

Kise is silent for a moment and when he speaks up it's not a response to Kagami's implied question.

“Did you know that people only truly speak their mind when they are angry?” he asks with a watery laugh. “I guess now I know what Kurokocchi and Aominecchi really think of me.”

Kagami would disagree on that because he's witnessed more often than not how strong emotions just sometime warped your brain and your tongue until the words you wanted to say came out all wrong and twisted, so he's inclined to give Aomine and Kuroko the benefit of the doubt here.

But for now this is about Kise anyway.

“Maybe we should just stop,” he offers. Trying to make Kuroko jealous was all fine and dandy, but he had not expected such levels of jealousy. He had hoped that Kuroko would let loose a little and possibly confess to Kagami, not shoot some of his more malign feelings at Kise instead.

“It's not worth it if your friendship gets destroyed,” he adds, making the other sit up straight in sudden alarm.

“But we're so close, Kagamicchi,” Kise objects, “I can feel it. Kurokocchi was ready to jump you just now.”

He was ready to throw punches at your face, Kagami thinks but doesn't say.

“Maybe,” he says evasively, “But I don't want you to get hurt over this.”

Suddenly, there is a warmth on his lips and it takes him a moment to realize that it's because Kise is kissing him. Not, like, a real kiss, just sort of touching, just sort of nothing, to be be honest, and it's over before he can be weirded out about it.

“Sorry,” Kise apologizes, ducking his head with a small laugh, “I don't know why I did that.”

Momentary insanity, Kagami wants to joke. Obviously poor taste in men. Wanting someone who wants you.

“Don't sweat it,” he waves him off, glancing away and scratching his too warm cheek, then making up his mind and settling an arm around Kise, “It's okay to be upset.”

Kise's breath hitches a little but then he relaxes again.

“Kurokocchi is really lucky to have you, you know that?” he says and Kagami snorts.

“Yeah, well,” he shrugs because the jury is still out on that one, “We'll see about that.

 

Kagami has no clue why Kise would possibly think that throwing a party is a good idea with the way things are going at the moment, but he also can't really imagine how things could go worse, so he agrees.

Since the confrontation at the gym, he's also been thinking about his own passivity in regards to the plan.

He's been relying too much on Kise's instructions, on the hope that Kuroko would eventually make the first move. In reality, however, there is no proper reason why Kagami shouldn't be the one to confess his feelings.

Yes, the jealousy thing had shown him that, if he was lucky, Kuroko was interested in him as well. But other than that, Kagami had no excuse on why he wasn't fighting his own battles.

So he could either wait till someone got seriously hurt in this mess. Or he could swallow his fear and take some action himself.

So he takes a deep breath and fishes his phone out of his pocket.

 _Hey_ , he types, _We're throwing a party at my place. Saturday, 8 pm. Whole team and our class invited. You game?_

There's a long pause, so much so that Kagami would think Kuroko doesn't have his phone with him, if it weren't for the small 'message read' sign in the corner. Which means that Kuroko is probably thinking of an excuse of why not to come.

He hates me, Kagami thinks, throat seizing up. I've made him hate me.

Then his phone vibrates in the lose grasp of his fingers and he fumbles for a moment before pulling up the new message, preparing himself for the worst.

_Who's we?_

That's... not quite what Kagami had expected. Which makes him wonder what kind of answer Kuroko

is expecting.

Oh, he blinks. Kuroko thinks he's throwing the party together with Kise. Which he kind of it, but... maybe he shouldn't outright say so.

 _Me and Alex_ , he replies instead, hoping it will smooth out the waves.

Kuroko seems to type amazingly fast, _Will Kise-kun be there?_

Kagami thinks.

 _Well_ , he writes, _Tatsuya asked whether he can bring Murasakibara, so I thought I might as well invite the rest of Teiko. That cool?_

A moment's hesitation, but then, _Yes._

Kagami bites his lower lip, remembering Kise's teary-eyed smile and self-deprecating jokes.

 _Can you text Aomine?_ he asks, _I don't have his number._

This time no hesitation at all. _Yes._

Kagami grins. Maybe this plan isn't quite as hopeless as he had thought.

 

Kise arrives early to help with preparations, though for the most part Kagami is already done with everything, especially since Alex had immediately seized the opportunity to party and generously donated some money to the cause.

Now, Kagami is thoughtfully watching as Kise flutters around the living-room and adding the finishing touches to everything.

Kise's body language is relaxed, his smile at ease. There had been no lingering signs of his break-down last weekend nor any acknowledgment of the strange little half-kiss they had shared.

And Kagami feels bad because, despite his earlier protestations, he had continuously relied on Kise to sort out his potential love life while Kise was left on his own.

He's been wrecking his brain, trying to think of how he could maybe help as well, but the only thing he could come up with is to give Kise an opportunity to talk about his feelings. Despite all his amounts of good will, however, that doesn't mean that he is overly subtle or sensitive about it.

“Why the hell are you in love with that bastard?” he asks, not beating around the bush, watching as Kise's shoulders tense.

“Sorry?” Kise asks in a weak voice as though he had misheard, but Kagami ploughs onwards.

“Come on,” he prods, “You knew about me and Kuroko. And I know about you and Aomine. Is that so difficult to believe?”

Admittedly, Kagami might not be the most perceptive person but he is not totally oblivious to the lovelorn looks Kise has been sending Touou's asshole ace.

“That was during middleschool,” Kise claims, averting his eyes and chewing on his lower lip, “Ages ago.”

“Doesn't seem like that whenever you look at him,” Kagami huffs and cocks an eyebrow,

watching as Kise's back straightens, caught red-handed.

“And why's that?” he asks tersely.

“You look like you know he could take you apart with one blow,” Kagami tries to explain what he has seen, “But like it'd be totally worth the risk.”

Kise juts his chin forward, “Are you trying to tell me it's not worth it?”

But Kagami is having none of his attitude.

“I think he's an asshole,” he notes with a shrug, “But you know him far better than I do. And heck, it's not like Kuroko is all sunshine and puppies either.”

That, at least, manages to draw a laugh from Kise, “Considering you're afraid of dogs, I think 'sunshine and puppies' is exactly what you think of when you look at Kurokocchi.”

Kagami can't even disagree because, yeah, Kuroko is a little scary, but in a thrilling way, a way that pushes Kagami to be the best that he can be.

“You wanna know how Kurokocchi looks at you?” Kise muses listlessly and Kagami cannot help but perk up in curiosity.

“He looks at you like you're the sun and he wants to lay the moon at your feet,” Kise says, a hint of envy, of jealousy in his voice, “You're everything to him. Everything.”

Kagami's heart skips a beat. It's one thing to hear the guys from Seirin describe their team play like that, but an altogether different matter to have Kise call them shadow and light as well, but in a romantic context.

“Yeah, he-,” Kagami breaks off, clears his throat, “He said something similar when we first met.”

At that revelation, Kise looks a little exasperated, “And you still doubt that he loves you.”

“Nah,” Kagami says, trying to sound more confident than he is feeling, “I'm gonna kiss him tonight.”

And fuck if he's going to let anyone stop him.

 

The party is not exactly in full swing yet, but Tatsuya and Murasakibara have already claimed the couch, and the rest of Seirin is there as well. Almost.

Because Kuroko is still missing and Kagami has a last-minute freak-out about whether maybe this is in vain after all and Kuroko changed his mind or never really planned on showing up to begin with or he got run over by a car on his way here and then it will all be Kagami's fault and he never even got the chance to tell him-

“Kagami,” Furihata croaks as he stumbles towards him, a hand pressed to his mouth, “Where's the bathroom?”

“Second on the left,” Kagami tells him, pointing down the hallway, “What happened?”

“Muffins,” Furihata only says and then hastily stumbles away.

Right. Coach had brought some muffins along and deposited them among the rest of the buffet. They had looked okay, but it wasn't like this was the first time they had judged her food edible by its looks and been dreadfully disappointed.

Maybe he should secretly get rid of the muffins so no one else had to suffer like Furihata obviously did. But, if Coach caught him doing it, there was no way he could escape her wrath.

He cranes his neck, looking for her, but can't see her anywhere. Strange. Hadn't she been talking to the Captain just a few moments ago?

“Hypothetical question,” Kagami hears Tatsuya say behind him, “If I licked your pocky, would you still eat it?”

“I wouldn't mind you licking anything, Murochin,” Murasakibara answers and Kagami can't quite pinpoint why that exchange sounds so wrong to him.

In that moment, the doorbell rings. Kagami perks up immediately.

“Relax,” Kise says and Kagami jerks. He hadn't even noticed Kise suddenly appearing.

“Don't do that,” he shudders, “It's bad enough that Kuroko does it all the time.”

Kise snickers, “My bad. Just try not to look too overeager. You don't have to play hard to get but... go for a little more confidence, alright?”

Kagami lets out an unhappy grumble. If self-confidence came easily to him he wouldn't act like such an idiot all of the time.

Instead of running for the door, he half-heartedly listens to some anecdote about Teiko Kise starts to tell the third-years, something about Midorima getting detention, but then someone else is already cutting in.

“That's nothing,” Aomine says, hands in his pockets, shoulders slumped, “One time, his lucky item of the day was a gravure magazine but he didn't dare go buy one. So he asked for one of mine, but I wouldn't give it to him for free. Guess who did all of my homework for the rest of the week?”

Koganei laughs loudly while Mitobe and Kiyoshi chuckle, but Kagami forces his own grin down, because dammit, after last week he is definitely not inclined to be amused by Ahomine's jokes.

Kise had not known that Aomine would be attending the party as well and from the corner of his eye he can see the blonde stiffen a little. The atmosphere itself is a little awkward but not tense. Maybe the fallout from that fight was not as bad as Kagami had thought. Or maybe Kise is just too forgiving.

“Good evening, Kagami-kun,” Kuroko says suddenly and with a start he realizes that while he had been agonizing about how things are between Kise and Aomine he had half-forgotten his own worries.

“Thank you for your invitation,” Kuroko adds when Kagami takes a moment too long to answer, so he shrugs quickly, smiles.

“The more the merrier,” he claims, not failing to send a dark look towards Aomine, but then he pokes a finger to Kuroko's chest. He pulls away almost immediately, burning himself on his own forwardness.

“Nice shirt,” he tries to cover his blunder because luckily Kuroko is indeed wearing something unusually bright, a bit too 90s for Kagami's taste, but there's something written on it, “Where'd you-”

He breaks off when he realizes just what exactly the graffiti letters say, because holy shit, Kuroko really needs to brush up on his English if he didn't catch that.

Before he can stop himself, he barks out a laugh, tears stinging his eyes.

“Are you alright, Kagami-kun?” Kuroko asks and the worry in his voice makes everything even more hilarious because he has _no idea_ , and Kagami feels like he is suffocating.

“Kuroko,” he gasps out, “Next time you buy a shirt with something written on it, make sure you know what it actually says.”

Before Kuroko can even ask for clarification, Kise is already butting in, thoughtfully reading out the words sprawled across Kuroko's chest.

“Let's see,” he says slowly and Kagami can already feel another bout of hysterics kicking in because Kise is totally using his cute idol voice and that makes it worse.

“Chicken Asshole Gangbang Highway Rock 'n' Roll,” he reads with a bright smile, “Yes, it definitely suits Kurokocchi's personality.”

By now, everyone else is in tears, too, even Aomine, even _Mitobe_ , but Kuroko is blushing furiously, obviously humiliated by being put on the spot like that, and suddenly Kagami feels quite bad. After all, for someone who prefers to keep to the shadows being the center of attention like this is probably a nightmare.

“Sorry,” he tells Kuroko quietly, “I shouldn't have pointed it out like that.”

“It's quite alright,” Kuroko replies though his face is still red, and normally he would have punched Kagami for less, so this easy absolution is quite unusual, “Better you than someone who might actually make fun of me.”

At that, Kagami gives a relieved grin.

“Come on,” he gives Kuroko a gentle slap on the shoulder, “Let's see whether we can't find you something more appropriate to wear. Otherwise I'll just keep laughing whenever I look at you. Maybe Alex has something your size.”

He's already turning to where she is chatting to Tatsuya and trying to get him to drink something, but then Kuroko pipes up.

“I do not wish to wear women's clothing,” he points out darkly, but Kagami waves him off.

“I figured,” he chuckles, “But she sometimes wears old bandshirts and jerseys and stuff. Those should fit you just find.”

“Please just give me one of your shirts, Kagami-kun,” Kuroko begs plainly.

Kagami stills.

“O-okay,” he stutters out, trying to fight down the heat in his cheeks but knowing that he is failing miserably, “Just... let's have a look through my dresser and you can pick something out.”

He doesn't even had to lead the way as Kuroko immediately makes a beeline for the bedroom, feeling comfortable enough in Kagami's apartment to treat it like a second home and Kagami's heart swells at that thought.

“Um,” he says, once they are alone and rooting through the wardrobe, “I don't think I have anything your size. Maybe a flannel would work?”

“I trust your judgment, Kagami-kun,” Kuroko tells him and his voice is suddenly close, so Kagami jerks a little and glances to the side, only to jerk again when he realizes that Kuroko has not only left an uncomfortably small distance between them but that he has already taken off his garish shirt, standing there in nothing but his cargo pants.

And shit, Kagami pretty much sees Kuroko half-naked everyday when they are getting changed for training, but this is Kagami's bedroom and no one is around right now and, unlike under the harsh white ceiling lights of the changing rooms, the overhead lamp here makes Kuroko's skin look all soft and creamy and-

“Put that on,” Kagami says quickly and throws a flannel at him.

“... Thank you,” Kuroko replies but his lips look kind of pinched as he slips his arms into the rolled up sleeves.

“I should go back to the others,” Kagami muses loudly, scratching the back of his head and already turning towards the door, “I'm the host after all, I should-”

“Kagami-kun,” Kuroko says in that moment and something in his voice makes Kagami stop dead in his tracks, nervously glancing over his shoulder.

“Yes?” he asks hesitantly because the look in Kuroko's eyes is nothing but fierce.

As usual, Kuroko is not one for beating around the bush.

“Do you love Kise-kun?” he asks and Kagami's heart stops.

“S-sorry?” he stammers.

“Do you love Kise-kun?” Kuroko repeats, and he is advancing now, stepping closer, but a strange sort of vulnerability passes over his face, there and gone again.

“Because if you do,” he explains, tucking his chin a little closer to his chest, “If you do, I will back down. But... if there's only a little doubt in regards to your feelings for him... please reconsider and give me a chance instead.”

Kagami cannot help but stare, wide-eyed.

“Kuroko,” he says because there is nothing else on his mind.

Suddenly, Kuroko is very close, closer than ever before.

“I really like Kagami-kun,” he says, reaching up and then his hands are in Kagami's hair, and just like that Kagami's knees go weak and he sits down abruptly, barely catching himself on the edge of the bed.

“Uh,” he says intelligently, staring up at Kuroko who is now slightly taller than him, slightly more eloquent, at least in his actions.

Because Kuroko is leaning in, with his stupid blue eyes fluttering shut, and then his lips are on Kagami's.

But I wanted to kiss him first, Kagami thinks numbly and then the realization slams into him that he and Kuroko are kissing, kissing for real, and his hands find their way onto Kuroko's hips, unconsciously pulling him in.

Eventually, they run out of breath and pull back, staring at each other with wide eyes. Then, without any cue, any need to say something, they just lean back in and start all over again.

They don't get to enjoy the moment, however, as the door suddenly bangs open, violently crashing into the wall, and when Kagami opens his eyes he does not come face to face with Kuroko but, terrifyingly enough, with Aomine who's lifting his fist.

More out of reflex that anything else, Kagami flinches back, but does not manage to completely escape the attack. It's a sloppy punch, though, so it only jars his jaw without actually dislocating it or anything like that. Still hurts like a bitch.

Before Kagami can even curse or ask what's going, Aomine is already glaring down on him.

“You fucking asshole!” he roars, his entire frame shaking, “You've been with Kise for a week and then you're already cheating on him?!”

“What the hell, Aomine-,” Kagami begins to defend himself, but it's all in vain because Aomine is turning on his heel and leaving like a hurricane, just as he had entered.

“Kagami-kun?” Kuroko asks worriedly, stepping closer after he had been pushed aside so rudely, “Are you hurt?”

Kagami grunts, gingerly moving his aching jaw, “Might need some ice.”

This was really not how he had imagined their first kiss to go, but it has the pleasant side effect of Kuroko nervously hovering beside him as they make their way into the kitchen.

“Do we have ice?” he asks the room at large, hand still cradling his cheek.

“Kise just went out to buy some,” Koga pipes up with an apologetic expression, “And then Aomine ran after him. Seemed kinda upset. He must really like cocktails.”

“Figures,” Kagami sighs and then turns towards the supply closet where he keeps his first aid kit.

“Uh,” he says when he finds Coach and Captain sucking face among his toilet paper and tin cans. Neither of them react to the interruption.

“Ah. Um. Sorry,” Kagami says, awkwardly reaching over their heads and pulling the first aid kit from the shelf. Still, Riko nor Hyuga make no indication of detaching themselves from one another anytime soon, so Kagami quickly closes the door again.

“Did something happen?” Kiyoshi asks in concern when he spots the kit and Kagami's bruised face, but Kagami just waves him off.

“Just a misunderstanding,” he replies because that is what it must have been, a big stupid misunderstanding as Kise's plan had turned out to be decidedly not foolproof.

“Let's go back to my room,” Kagami tells Kuroko who seems strangely subdued, even for his standards, “I think there's some stuff we need to talk about.”

“Yes, Kagami-kun,” Kuroko agrees meekly and follows after him.

They sit down on the bed and Kagami cannot help but notice how things feel much more awkward than before so he rummages through the kit in search of something that might help with the swelling.

He finds a bottle of mild painkillers and swallows one dry, but when he glances over he sees Kuroko squeezing some salve from a tube.

“May I?” he asks, tentatively extending his hand towards Kagami's face, but Kagami's throat is too tight to speak so he only gives a wordless nod.

“This is all my fault,” Kuroko says miserably as he applies the salve with tender fingers.

Kagami frowns, blinking up at the ceiling.

“Is it?” he asks hoarsely.

“I was the one who got between Kagami-kun and Kise-kun,” Kuroko explains, his shoulder hunched up, kind of like Nigou when he knows he has done something he wasn't supposed to do, “And I pressured Aomine-kun into thinking he still had a chance with Kise-kun.”

“Oh. Uh,” Kagami nervously taps his fingers against his knee, “Yeah, uh, there's something I need to tell you.”

Kuroko stills, “What do you mean?”

“Yeah, so,” Kagami decides that it's best to do it quickly, just ripping off the band-aid and praying that he doesn't bleed to death after all, “Long story short, Kise and I never actually dated, we just wanted to make you jealous. Please don't hit me.”

But Kuroko's small fist is already hitting him right in the sternum and he is left wheezing.

“I said _don't_ -,” he manages to bite out but then he is distracted by how Kuroko is quivering with what must be barely suppressed anger.

“Idiot,” Kuroko whispers brokenly, “Why would you do that? I thought- I thought Kagami-kun and Kise-kun-”

“No no no,” Kagami hurries to say because Kuroko's eyes are curiously bright, “It's- I knew it was stupid but at that time I didn't know what else to do. I was-”

“No!” Kuroko insists and shakes his head, “Do you have any idea- I had to decide between my friendship with Kagami-kun and Kise-kun, and abandoning it all for the small chance that Kagami-kun would leave him to be with me! And I chose you! And now you're telling me that it was all a joke?”

“Not a joke,” Kagami has his hands hovering in front of him, not daring to touch Kuroko but wanting to comfort him, “I just- this all totally backfired but- Kuroko, I like you. I'm in love with you, I-”

“Idiot,” Kuroko just repeats and throws his arms around him.

Oh, Kagami thinks and holds on tight.

They sit like this for long minutes till they have both calmed down.

“Hey,” Kagami starts up eventually, “Can we go and see whether we have ice now? My jaw kinda hurts.”

“Of course,” Kuroko steps, disentangling himself and standing up, looking entirely composed, “And I... I think I need to apologize to Kise-kun.”

“Yeah,” Kagami agrees, “I think that'd be good.”

So they go and return to the kitchen where Kiyoshi and Koganei seem to have gotten engaged in a game of beer pong with Midorima and Takao of all people.

Kagami thinks that Midorima must be winning with his impeccable aim, but they seem to have unfairly switched up the rules, meaning that Kiyoshi is allowed to block the attempts. Considering Kiyoshi's hands have the diameter of your regular dinner plate, Midorima doesn't seem to be getting many shots in. He seems to be _drinking_ quite a few shots, though, knocking back another small plastic cup and shaking his head at the taste, even as Takao cheers him on.

Kise and Aomine are watching from the sidelines, standing unusually close.

The four of them exchange meaningful looks, but no one says anything. Finally, Aomine gives a curt nod and Kagami gives a little wave, beckoning them all to follow him.

Kuroko has scooped up some of the ice in a plastic bag and a kitchen towel and Kagami presses it to his bruised face when he closes his bedroom door behind them.

“So,” he starts with a little cough, “Who wants to go first?”

“Aominecchi and I are dating now!” Kise bursts out at once and then presses his hands over his mouth as if to keep the words and his excited giggle from spilling.

And that sudden turn of events would come as a surprise if Aomine hadn't been just as jealous as Kuroko during the past few weeks.

“What he said,” Aomine shrugs and would appear unruffled if it weren't for how his eyes dart to the side to avoid looking at anyone else.

“So are Kagami-kun and I,” Kuroko pipes up, an uppity tilt to his chin.

“What the hell, Tetsu,” Aomine frowns, “This is not a competition.”

“You're right,” Kuroko admits before adding, “But if it were, we would win.”

“Kurokocchi,” Kise groans, “I think we are here to talk, not fight.”

“Right,” Kagami says decisively, “So, um, does anyone have any questions?”

“Yeah,” Aomine says, “Are your folks loaded or something? This place is huge.”

“Questions regarding the situation,” Kise elaborates and elbows him in the side.

A beat of silence as everyone seems to mull it over.

“Kise-kun,” Kuroko says finally, “If possible, I would like to talk to you in private.”

“Oh,” Kise says, looking a little apprehensive, “Sure.”

He darts a glance at Aomine, “I think Aominecchi has something to discuss with Kagamicchi as well.”

Oh hell. Kagami had really been hoping to avoid that, but at least Aomine looks just as thrilled at the prospect of being left alone with him.

“So, um,” Kise gestures towards the door, “Shall we?”

“Lead the way,” Kuroko says and then they are already gone.

Aomine and Kagami remain behind.

“For the record,” Aomine says, “I wouldn't actually be sorry about punching you if you had really cheated on Kise.”

“Don't sweat it,” Kagami waves him off, “Barely hurts anyway.”

“Makes you look even stupider than usual, though,” Aomine taunts, but there is not bite behind it.

They stare at each other, neither willing to actually apologize for anything.

“If you ever hurt Kise again, I'll make you regret it,” Kagami threatens.

“Same goes for you and Tetsu,” Aomine retorts.

“Good,” Kagami says.

“Good,” Aomine echoes.

It'd be even better if Kuroko were here and Aomine with Kise instead, but after all the excitement and near-disasters Kagami figures that he can wait just a little longer.

 

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I pray that Kuroko will be easier to write, but in any case I thank you all for your lovely reviews which have really kept me going, even when I was incredibly frustrated with this story. So you may view this as Christmas present, belated and all over the place as it may be.


	4. Kuroko

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Jealousy, Kuroko realizes very quickly, does not suit him at all.

“Um, Kuroko?” Furihata asks after practice, nervously twisting his fingers, even with Fukuda and Kawawara at his back, “Um, this is probably pretty straight-forward but, er, me and the others... we've been wondering... Is everything alright with you and Kagami?”

Kuroko stills for a moment before pointedly shaking out his uniform jacket and slipping into it.

“I am not sure I know what you mean,” he says plainly, focusing on doing up his buttons, but still he can tell that his fellow second-years are exchanging meaningful looks.

“You've been a little... awkward around each other,” Fukuda notes tactfully.

“Kagami-kun has a rather awkward personality,” Kuroko says, closing his locker, “You might have noticed.”

“Yeah, but, Fukuda tries, yet in that moment the door to the club room opens and Kagami steps in, after having stayed behind to talk to Coach for a moment.

“Ugh,” Kagami pulls a face, pinched fingers plucking at his shirt before he pulls it off his body, his abs and shoulders flexing even as he marches over to the sink in the corner, bending down to splash some water at his sweat-damp face.

Kuroko purses his lips. Normally, he would wait up for Kagami so they could walk home together. But normally, Kagami would also ruffle Kuroko's hair when he passed and pull grimaces at him from behind the captain's back.

Kuroko zips up his bag and clenches his hands around the shoulder strap.

“Come, Nigou,” he tells his dog before nodding Fukuda, Kawahara and Furihata goodbye and making for the door.

Kagami doesn't say anything to stop him.

 

In class, Kagami texts underneath his desktop, phone held in the hollow of his hand. During break, his big fingers fumble with the touchpad to type the words out more quickly. Before training he takes one last look at the screen and bites out a short laugh, and only the puts the phone into his locker.

Kagami hates texting. Or at least he avoids it most of the time because the autofill for the kanji never works the way he wants it to.

“We have to start an intervention,” he tells Aomine across the table at Maji Burgers.

“Huh?” Aomine asks around a mouthful of burger. Why did Kuroko always befriend the ones who had no table manners?

“Kise-kun's behavior is getting out of hand,” Kuroko point out, fighting to keep his voice even, “He texts Kagami-kun. All of the time.”

He can practically see the question mark appearing on Aomine's face.

“So?” the other shrugs, making an effort to look unaffected, “He does the same to us.”

“But Kagami-kun reads them,” Kuroko has to bit the inside of his cheek, “All of them.”

Aomine frowns, “What's so weird about that?”

Kuroko blinks.

“Are you saying,” he asks, “That you always read everything Kise-kun sends you?”

“Sure,” Aomine mumbles into his burger but now he looks somewhat unsure, like a kid caught with his hand in the cookie jar, only just now realizing that the cookies were actually off-limits.

Of course. Kuroko should have considered that Aomine was rather thick sometimes.

“That's beside the point,” he plows on, focusing on the problem at hand, “Kagami-kun actually always texts back. And today, I caught him reading one of Kise-kun's magazines.”

Aomine nods sagely, “Yeah, he had an interview in Junon Boy.”

Kuroko holds a deep breath and holds it for a long moment as they stare at each other. Then he lets it out in a slow rush.

“I don't even want to know how you know that,” he shakes his head, “The problem, however, is that Kise-kun is monopolizing Kagami-kun's time.”

“Does he still show up for training?”

Kuroko hesitates, dropping his gaze off to the side.

“Yes,” he relents finally.

“Soo,” Aomine looks confused, “This isn't about basketball?”

What on earth had made Kuroko think that trying to talk about emotional issues with Aomine was a good idea? He knew he should have contacted Momoi instead but he also suspected that she maybe had some sort of crush on him so it was probably cruel to get her opinion on this matter. But who else did he really have who was both sensible and tactful?

He stands from his seat, phone already in his hand.

“I'm going to call Midorima-kun,” he decides spontaneously because he is just that desperate, “Thank you for the meeting, but I need someone who doesn't need everything spelled out for him.”

“No no no!” Aomine stops him, furiously waving his hands until Kuroko sink back down once more, “I get it, I get you. You'd rather be eating burgers with Bakagami than with me.”

Not quite what Kuroko had been thinking but at least Aomine has gotten the gist of it.

“That, too,” he admits in a small voice and stares at his unfinished milkshake. He is distracted, however, when his phone beeps to inform him of an incoming message.

“It's from Kise-kun,” he notices, trepidation creeping up on him.

 _Kurokocchi really didn't exaggerate,_ the message reads, _Kagamicchi is an amazing cook!_

There is a photo attached and he already knows what he will see before he has even opened it.

“That is one of Kagami-kun's plates,” he says for Aomine's benefit who craning his neck to get a better look at the skillfully arranged yakitori, a dish that Kagami is especially fond of, “On Kagami-kun's dining room table.”

To his surprise, Aomine is the first one who moves.

“Where does that fucker live?” he asks darkly, his own burger forgotten.

Kuroko thinks that not all might be lost yet.

 

The walk from Maji Burger to Kagami's apartment is not a long one, and Kuroko is quite familiar with the route. Therefore it is rather unsettling to have Aomine by his side instead of Kagami himself.

What is even more unsettling, however, is the way Kagami looks when he finally opens the door, seeming somewhat surprised but also not. Yet it's not his face that has Kuroko so distracted. Instead it's the manner in which his hair is brushed out of his face, the way the unfamiliar henley clings to his chest, his waist, his shoulders.

Outside of their uniforms, Kuroko has never seen Kagami in anything but baggy jeans and t-shirt. So why would he make an effort just for Kise of all people?

Kuroko draws himself up to his full height.

“Kagami-kun,” he greets tersely, “May we come in?”

“Ah,” Kagami blinks, throwing a quick glance over his shoulder, “Now is sort of a bad time.”

Kuroko's eyes narrow, “And why is that?”

“I kind of have someone over,” Kagami hedges, but unlike Kuroko Aomine is not held up by anything as trifling as good manners.

“We know that it's Kise, you idiot,” he snaps and then slips past Kagami, jostling his shoulder.

Kuroko, on the other hand, does not now what to think, doesn't even know what to feel, so he keep his face carefully blank as he and Kagami stare at each other, neither of them saying anything.

Behind them in the apartment Aomine must have found Kise because they can hear his voice coming from the living-room. Kagami gives Kuroko one last look before turning around, not even inviting him in.

Kuroko enters anyway, makes for slipping off his shoes when he spots what must be Kise's loafers by the entrance. He draws up short, takes a deep breath. Then he marches onwards, the soles of his sneakers almost too loud on the polished floor.

“Then why are you still here?” he finds Aomine demanding of Kise who's lounging on the sofa.

“To talk,” Kise says with a lazy shrug and a languid smirk, “And stuff.”

“Stuff,” Kuroko echoes before turning his glare on his own teammates, “Kagami-kun, don't you have a test to study for?”

“Yeah,” Kagami admits, plucking at the buttons on his henley, “Kise's helping me study.”

That is definitely the most outrageous lie Kuroko has ever heard, including the time Murasakibara tried to convince him that, no, he had not eaten that bento.

“His grades are probably worse than yours,” he informs Kagami dryly, but it's Kise who comes up with a defense.

“But I've developed a very effective reward system,” he purrs, the way he does when talking to fans and reporter. The charming one. The seductive one.

Seduction, Kuroko thinks and everything in him freezes, all of his worries confirmed.

It takes everything he has not to lose face in front of three of his best friends, everything to just hold his breath and turn around on the spot.

“If you fail, I will never help you with homework again,” he tells Kagami, not even looking at him, afraid that his voice might break.

“Thanks for having me,” he says into the empty hallway and then hurried out of the door.

It's only at the bottom of the stairs that he realizes that Aomine is directly behind him.

“Well, that was a bust,” Aomine huffs but Kuroko doesn't know how to reply so those are the last words they speak to each other that evening.

 

The next morning in school, Kagami greets him awkwardly and then sits down in his usual chair in front of him. He keep the palm of his large hand cupped over the side of his neck and Kuroko wonders at that, fixing his eyes on that spot until finally Kagami lowers his hand to grab his eraser.

Kuroko' heart stops.

He can't quite tell from this angle and in this light and with the uniform collar half-covering it, but he also cannot come up with any other reasonable explanation as to why Kagami would have a big reddish purple bruise on his neck.

A hickey, that's what it is. A hickey that must have been put there by Kise because who knew what they had got up to after Kuroko and Aomine had left. Studying had obviously not been it.  
Was that what Kise had meant by his effective reward system? Kuroko doesn't know whether to feel stupid or enraged. After all, whenever they had been studying together, he had slapped the back of Kagami's head for every incorrect answer.

Seduction, he thinks once more. Kise certainly knows how to do it.

When this whole mess had started and Kise had started complimenting Kagami, Kuroko had still been able to convince himself that this was merely teasing. The way he flirted with Momoi and Kuroko and Midorima whenever he wanted to be particularly obnoxious. The way he made kissy faces at the other guys at Kaijo or how he sometimes gave waitresses especially bedazzling smiles. All in good fun, and always stopping whenever he felt he was overstepping his boundaries.

This was... this was different. This was Kise getting up in Kagami's space and looking at him for too long and being invited to dinner and putting his mouth to the tendons in Kagami's neck like he has any right to be there.

What's even worse, however, is knowing that Kagami must have let him.

Kuroko sinks down in his chair and is grateful that the teacher never notices him enough to call him out.

It's between maths and Japanese history when his phone beeps to inform him he got a text from Aomine. It's short and to the point and makes Kuroko's guts twist.

_Check Kise's Twitter._

So he does.

There's a video feed from last night but Kuroko doesn't have any earphones on him, so he turns the sound really low and finds himself a secluded place before pressing play, not knowing what to expect.

Numbly, he watches a Kise chatters some inane message to his friends and then drags Kagami into the frame.

Kagami is holding his guitar in his hands, the one he kept in his living-room but had never actually used. Kuroko had always sort of assumed that it was only there for decoration until he had once witnessed Alex-san strumming it. Yet somehow Kuroko had never suspected that maybe Kagami would be able to play it, too.

The guitar looks small as Kagami closes his fingers around the neck, nervously running them up and down. Then he starts playing and at once looks a little calmer.

Kuroko thinks he could just watch this, listen to this, so he turns the sound a little louder, mesmerized. Then Kise starts singing. Right. Kuroko had almost forgotten about that. But then Kagami is singing, too, and Kuroko is gone again.

He can't quite make out what they are singing about, apart from the fact that it's about love, and that make it even harder to focus.

Kuroko's English is abysmal as he very well knows. Kagami knows it, too, but ever actually makes fun of him, just gives a lopsided grin and gently corrects his grammar or his pronunciation like Kuroko were able to properly concentrate when Kagami tells him to 'just look at my lips, okay? The tip of my tongue is just barely touching my teeth there, see?'

Kise's English, on the other hand, is passable. He would probably do well in class if he only paid attention. He'd probably do well in all of classes in that case. It's not like Kise is stupid, not when he can read people and remember plays within the blink of an eye. Yet he only hones his English skills because of his modeling career.

Maybe I'll do international work at some point, he had once told Kuroko and given him a playful wink.

Kise also wanted to become a pilot, to see the world and look down on it.

Kuroko had never even really been outside of Tokyo.

Kagami, though. Kagami is tall and handsome and a great basketball player and he is kind of funny in a really dorky way and he talks too much and too loudly and he always insists that Kuroko needs to eat more and passes him burgers or offers to cook for him and he once took Nigou for a walk when Kuroko had twisted his ankle during training and he sometimes he drops by with really awful Hollywood movies, claiming that it was so Kuroko could improve his English, and he is totally oblivious to girls, so Kuroko had _hoped_.

But hope was a fickle thing that never got you anywhere. If you wanted something you had to work for it. And if there was one thing Kuroko had it was tenacity.

The video ends and he clenches his phone his in his fist.

 

He had expected that simply adding Aomine to the mix would remind Kise of his old feelings, would make him stop looking for love in new places. But Aomine was thick as a concrete wall and needed a reminder to up his game. If he even had anything like that.

But there is a training match against Touou that weekend and Kuroko thinks he might be able to talk strategy with Aomine, anything to change how things are currently going downhill for the both of them.

Except. Except Kagami is late for warm-up, with his face red and his hair a mess, and Coach crosses her arms in front of him, glaring.

“I know that look,” she says at length, eyebrow ticking up, “That's 'catching a quick make-out behind the gym' #4!”

Kuroko hadn't even known there were that man different possibilities to make out, much less behind a gym specifically, but Coach used to date Kiyoshi-sempai so she would probably know. And now Kagami seems to know, too.

“No!” he shakes his head, much too vehemently for anyone to believe him, “I wasn't! I was just- uh- talking to the janitor.”

“I don't care who your boyfriend is,” Coach rolls her eyes, “Don't let your laugh life impact our training.”

The rest of Seirin and the some of Touou players snicker at Kagami's expense, but Kuroko is too busy wondering whether Kagami had been texting Kise again, whether they had talked on the phone, whether-

The truth, however, is much more horrible in its simplicity.

Coach doesn't send any of their more seasoned players on court, letting the other second-years and the new firsts have a go at Touou's Sakurai and Wakamatsu, wanting them to get a feel for a real fight, even if that means they will most likely lose.

So Kuroko is left to dwell on his thought, acutely aware of the distance between him and Kagami who is sitting on the other end of the bench.

It's during half-time, when Coach has already given the players some pointers for how to continue, when Kise strolls into the gym, like a stray cat that had simply picked the house with the open door as its new home.

“Kise!” Coach yells at once, “What are you doing here again?”

“I had a shoot in the area,” Kise replies cheerily and somehow Kuroko can tell that it must be a lie.

Coach, however, is not easily deterred.

“Are you gathering intel on us?” she asks suspiciously, yet it is Kagami who jumps in.

“It's already, Coach,” he tells, raising placating hands, “Just let the pretty boy stay.”

Kuroko's heart does a really weird thing where it sort of twists around itself and then jump up into his throat with the intent of suffocating him.

It stays there for the rest of the match, hard and heavy, no matter how often Kuroko tries to swallow it down.

Kagami is not a superficial person. That's what Kuroko had always thought. Yes, he judged players by their looks, but he didn't judge people. On the contrary, he sometimes had a strange way of rebuilding others' confidence, like that time one of their classmates had been crying to her friends because she was unhappy with her new haircut and Kagami had awkwardly butted in from the sidelines telling her, For what it's worth, I think it still looks nice, like the heroine from that new video game, you know?

But not being superficial didn't mean one wasn't drawn towards beauty at all. And even Kuroko could admit that Kise was pretty. He just had never expected that Kagami would think so, too.

It's not much of a surprise then that, after he has been allowed to stay, Kagami allows himself to be led back to the bench by Kise who immediately goes down on his knees in front of him and starts massaging his calves.

Kuroko stares, as do most of the other people present, even if most of them try to be subtle about it. After all, it is obvious that Kagami has not played and thus does not need a massage.

And Kuroko has seen the hickey, he knows that Kise put his lips to Kagami's skin at least once, but it's worse to actually see him with his fingers sliding up and down Kagami's leg, just a little too high for it to be strictly professional, until Kagami is red in the face and gripping the edge of the bench.

“Um,” Fukuda says, wiping the sweat off his brow and sending a wide-eyed look from Kuroko to Kise and Kagami and then back again, “Oh. Wow.”

Kuroko just wants this stupid game to be over already.

 

They sat together for the rest of the match and they were whispering and _giggling_ , and Kuroko had tried to ocus on the course of the ball on the court but he had still heard them.

He goes to grab his bag from the locker room, deftly avoiding Fukuda's concerned gaze and then ducking out again, only to find Aomine and Kise waiting.

“We wanted to get popsicles,” Kise says in that moment and it's obvious enough he means with _we_.

“Alone?” Aomine asks darkly and Kise's shoulder hunch up a little.

“Well,” he says at length, “I guess you and Kurokocchi could tag along.”

“What a generous offer,” Kuroko says dryly and, out of spite, he adds, “But shouldn't models be mindful of their calorie intake?”

Kise shoots him an uncertain look but then it's dragged away from him as Kagami comes out of the locker room.

“Kagamicchi,” he calls out with a pout, “Kurokocchi is calling me fat!”

“Huh?” Kagami seems caught off guard, glancing between the three of them and unsure of how to react to this situation.

“Do you think I'm fat?” Kise asks, sucking in his gut, and Kagami mutters something in English that Kuroko cannot make out.

“What was that?” Kise asks, blinking cutely.

“I said you're fine as you are,” Kagami corrects himself, a faint blush on his face, and that hadn't even been there when he had called Kise a pretty boy.

“I have to say, you're not half-bad yourself, Kagamicchi,” Kise grins and sidles up to him, just within arm's reach.

Kuroko's patience is at its limits.

“Kise-kun,” he demands tersely, “Please refrain from trying to wrap Kagami-kun around your finger.”

There is a spark of something like triumph in Kise's eyes.

“But, Kurokocchi,” he says slyly, “I just want to be friends with him.”

“I know what your attempts at making friends look like,” Kuroko reminds him, though he knows that it is a low blow, “And you won't succeed here either.”

Suddenly, Kise has put a possessive hand up on Kagami's shoulder.

“But I guess I already have,” he purrs.

It's not the first time that Kuroko's silent stubbornness has gone up against Kise's pointed pettiness, but somehow this feels different. Somehow this feels like Kuroko has to dish out the death blow.

“Kise-kun has already been an attention seeker,” he says, clenching his fists, “To make up for everything he lacks.”

Kise flinches, just mildly, barely more than the flick of his eyelashes, before his hand comes up to card through his hair.

“Not everyone likes to fade into the background all of the time,” he snaps back and Kuroko swallows that down to deal with it later, opening his mouth again, but then Aomine is already stepping up behind him, finally butting in.

“Don't mind him,” he says to Kuroko, waves a dismissive hand, “He's just a pretty face. It's not like anyone's actually gonna be interested in him.”

This time Kise really does flinch, taking a step backwards. It takes him a moment to compose himself, but when he does his voice does not quaver at all.

“At least I do have a pretty face,” he reminds them all and gives a cruel kind of smile, before turning around and sauntering out of the gym. His feline grace is still there but now it seems like he'll never come back.

With brutal clarity Kuroko realizes that they have taken things too far.

“That was unnecessary, Aomine-kun,” he chides, though he knows that this time he was the one who paved the road to hell. He's about to say so, too, when suddenly everything happens very quickly and then Kagami has grabbed Aomine by the collar, pushing him up against the wall.

“You bastard!” Kagami growls and Kuroko doesn't think he has ever seen him this angry, not when Hanamiya stepped on Kiyoshi-sempai's foot, not even when Alex-san told them how Haizaki had tried to choke her.

“Kise is a better guy than you could ever hope to be!” Kagami bites out before abruptly letting go of Aomine and then following after Kise.

“Are you alright, Aomine-kun?” Tetsu asks quietly because Aomine does look shaken, less because of the attack and rather due to his own uncouth words.

“Splendid,” he just snarls and angrily fixes his collar.

 

They leave the gym together, neither speaking a word but both dragging their feet. Next to him, Aomine is glaring down at the path in front of him.

Kuroko, as always, tries to keep his head up. In this case, however, that turns out be be a mistake.

He spots Kise and Kagami sitting some way away from the school gates, side by side leaning against the fence. It's a familiar gesture, intimate even. Kagami is big yet strangely careful next to Kise who seems somewhat diminished.

They are talking quietly and Kuroko abruptly comes to a halt as if his own stillness would enable him to hear them. Their words, however, are meaningless. Their actions speak much more loudly, after all.

Kise turns towards Kagami, cants his face up, leans in and presses a minuscule kiss onto Kagami's mouth. Minuscule because it lasts for only a moment. Minuscule because it feels like stepping on a pushpin.

The pain sears through through Kuroko's spine, through every single vertebrae and comes to settle, like a brick, in the vicinity of his sternum. Kagami puts his arm around Kise and draws him in, and then it's still not over.

Kuroko's tongue tries to form words.

“Come, Aomine-kun,” he says eventually, only just now remembering the other boy's presence, “We are no longer needed here.”

 

“Everything alright, sweetie?” his mother asks him as he is desolately cutting vegetables for dinner.

Kuroko stills, grips his knife a little harder.

“Of course,” he lies, “Why are you asking?”

“Hm,” she hums, wiping the counter top down with a dish towel, “You had a match against Aomine-kun's school today, right? Did you lose?”

“Neither of us played, so it doesn't even matter,” Kuroko mumbles, back to attacking the carrots with his blade.

“So what else happened?”

Kuroko sighs. The problem with her – apart from her being his mother and therefore somewhat omniscient when it came to him – was the fact that they were rather similar in a lot of regards and that she could always read his moods, especially when he was trying really hard to seem unaffected.

He knew she wouldn't pry, wouldn't hold it against him if he chose to remain silent, but... she was probably the only person who might actually understand his plight.

“Kaa-san,” he asks, trying to not make it sound too meaningful, “How did you get tou-san to notice you?”

Immediately, a knowing grin spreads across her face. Kuroko really should have known that the question made it rather obvious what this was about.

“Well,” she says thoughtfully, “I'm not sure I ever consciously did anything apart from, you know, being his colleague and always handing in my work on time. He actually did notice me all by himself, just like I had noticed him. But then one day – it was summer, too, twenty years ago now – and it was really hot, and I was wearing a new dress with those big flowers on it. Me and my friend were in the break-room and complaining about the heat and... your father comes in and looks at me and just goes, Please go out with me! And I said yes.”

She laughs a little, touches a hand to her face in remembrance. “I still have that dress, if you can believe it. Horrible thing, I'll never wear it again, but I can't bring myself to throw it away either.”

Kuroko knows the dress, knows it from pictures in the family photo album, snapshots of his parents' first date. He'd always thought it looked rather unfortunate, but had blamed it on the non-existent fashion sense of the nineties.

Fashion. If it was fashion that made people notice each other he was definitely caught on the losing side. Kagami loved shopping for clothes, and Kise was an actual fashion model of all things.

Kuroko sighs, separating the peels and the tailends of the carrots from the rest.

Just one more chance, he thinks to himself. I just need one more chance.

 

 _Hey_ , his phone screen reads a couple of days later, after he and Kagami have not exchanged a single word at school, _We're throwing a party at my place. Saturday, 8 pm. Whole team and our class invited. You game?_

Frankly, Kuroko has no idea why – after disaster that was the last weekend – Kagami would throw a party and would invited not only him but also Aomine, but maybe it is meant as a tentative attempt at fixing things out between them.

And yet, Kuroko mostly agrees because he does not wish to know what Kise and Kagami would do if left alone in the aftermath of a party.

Not like it'll get to that. Because Kuroko has got a plan.

It's not the best kind of plan but he isn't sure you can actually plan something like that anyway. It's different from figuring out a strategy for a match because there everyone generally sticks to the rules and Coach is there to give them some insightful advice. Not to mention that Kuroko actually has a lot of experience when it comes to playing basketball when, in comparison, he is new to this whole seduction thing.

What he does know, though, is that it's a nice gesture to make an effort at looking nice for the other person. Birds do it, girls do it, Kise had certainly done it. Even Kagami had obviously put in an effort into his outfit when he had been meeting with Kise, though Kuroko thought he had looked a little uncomfortable in it.

Now it was time for Kuroko to give it a try.

He browses the aisles in a department store he has never frequented on his own before, had once only tagged along because Kagami had wanted to check it out. The shirts are all a confusing mix of either plain blacks and grays or screaming neon colors, and Kuroko decides that he really does not understand fashion.

He randomly grabs a few shirts his size at random and makes for the changing rooms. The cold white light overheard makes him seem pale and gaunt, a sharp contrast to the bright splashes of color on the fabric.

The first two he tries are rather baggy, the kind that is good for playing basketball but makes him look like a child in his cousin's hand-me-downs. The third one is lime green and clashes horribly with his skin.

The fourth, finally, is a better fit. The shirt itself is black but there are streaks of color all across it that thicken and mingle on the front and spell out words, like graffiti in stylized romanji, edgy stuff like _highway_ and _rock 'n' roll_. It's tighter than what Kuroko would usually choose to wear, snug around his shoulder and his hips, emphasizing how he is just slim instead of muscular like everyone else around him seems to be. Even Coach's biceps are more prominent than his.

Look at these guns, he had told Kagami more than once.

You don't have any, Kagami had reminded him with a snort and a shove.

Kuroko bites his lip and stares at his meager reflection.

He's never been ashamed of who he is before, has never felt like he needed to change. But really, how can someone almost invisible like him hold a candle to Kise Ryouta? He clearly remembers how easy it had been for Kise to join the Generation of Miracles, even though he had never even touched a basketball before. Yet Kuroko had been playing since his childhood, and he had to work so hard and still could only ever act in the background, as an enabler for the real aces of the team.

Still. He'd always thought he had something special with Kagami, even if only on a platonic level.

He'd thought the same about Aomine, though, who had then just dropped him and never really looked back. That had been painful beyond belief, and Kuroko thought it the worst betrayal.

Now, though. Now is even worse than that. Because while Kagami hasn't outright dropped him, he has still turned towards Kise instead.

Kise must have a type, he thinks gloomily. Tall and tactless and with nothing but basketball on their minds.

But what's worse is to think that Kagami might have a type, too. If that's the case, then how could Kuroko ever figure on his radar? After all, he's Kise's polar opposite in pretty much every way. Well. Except in their romantic interests, it seems.

But is Kise truly in love with Kagami? It's hard to imagine.

It's also hard to imagine why one _wouldn't_ be in love with Kagami. But that's just Kuroko's delusional heart speaking.

But these are the facts: Kagami and Kise are both handsome in their own ways. They love shopping and good food. They have a weird sense of humor. They're always a little too loud, too bright in any given situation. They enjoy singing. They both have abysmal grades. They have an unfailing dedication towards basketball. They are both loyal. They seem self-confident but can be knocked down with a single well-aimed word.

Opposites attract, Kuroko tries to tell himself. It doesn't work.

In the face of such overwhelming evidence, it's obvious why Kise and Kagami would get along so swimmingly.

Kuroko and Kagami's friendship had never been as smooth. Outside of basketball, they had taken such a long time to get used to each other. Kuroko's sarcasm tested Kagami's tendency to take everything at face value. Kagami's accidental tactlessness clashed with Kuroko's proper upbringing.

They worked well together, but they didn't exactly mesh. Kuroko had always thought they complemented each other. Completed each other. Shadow and light. Now he isn't so sure anymore.

But what's the point of two suns, he thinks when he sees Kagami standing next to Kise. What's the point of trying to outshine one another? You'll only get blinded in the process, you'll lose sight of what truly matters.

Jealousy, Kuroko realizes very quickly, does not suit him at all.

 

There had been several flaws in Kuroko's previous plan of intervention.

He had scolded Kise and Kagami for spending time with each other and had demeaned them in more ways than just one. He had showed up at Kagami's place without invitation and entered without permission. He had given Kagami the silent treatment with no explanation whatsoever. He had knowingly insulted Kise and even driven Aomine to do the same, even though he knew Kise's self-esteem wasn't exactly the sturdiest of things. He had downplayed the value of Kagami and Kise's... relationship and also brought up Kise's former unrequited love for Aomine.

In short, Kuroko had been a total dickhead. It was no surprise, really, that Kagami and Kise chose to stick to each other instead.

It was time for Kuroko to prove that he was worthy of Kagami's affection. It was time that he straight-up admitted his feelings so that further misunderstandings could be prevented.

Maybe Aomine had been thinking something similar because when they meet up on their way to Kagami's, Aomine is wearing unusually form-fitting clothes. He also has a band aid across this cheek that Kuroko chooses not to comment on.

“Aomine-kun,” he says instead as they reach the apartment building and neither of them reaches for the doorbell, “What are we going to do?”

“Huh? What do you mean” Aomine asks but there is a nervous tick to his eyebrow, a shuffle as he avoids Kuroko's eyes and stares down at his own feet instead.

“Fuck, I don't know, Tetsu,” he admits at length and Kuroko breathes a quiet sigh of relief because he needs back-up for this, he cannot bear to have Aomine act like absolutely nothing has changed.

“I mean, what are we even trying to achieve here?” Aomine wonders aloud and looks genuinely conflicted.

Kuroko takes a deep breath, squares his shoulders.

“I am in love with Kagami-kun,” he confesses what he plans to say to Kagami's face as soon as possible, “And I want him to be with me instead of Kise-kun.”

But Aomine's gaze only drops again as if he were feeling uncomfortable in his skin, in this situation.

“So what?” he asks, “You want to break them up?”

There is a short moment during which Kuroko marvels at this unexpected sort of maturity that Aomine seems to have developed over night. Not a 'if I ignore my feelings, they'll go away' or even 'I'll pull Kise's pigtails to make him like me', but a 'I've had my chance'.

But this is not the time for Aomine to chicken out.

“Don't you?” he demands instead, watching as Aomine's shoulders tense.

“Fuck,” the taller boy swear, running a hand over his face, “I don't know. I mean, if they are happy together then maybe we should...”

“Just accept it?” Tetsu completes the death sentence and bites the inside of his cheek, “I have to admit that I am disappointed. I did not think that Aomine-kun had developed such a masochistic inclination towards losing.”

And before he loses his confidence, he reaches out to ring the doorbell.

They climb the stairs in silence, but the music of the party is already wafting towards them not outrageously loud but curiously inviting.

When they enter they are greeted by Kiyoshi-sempai who warns them of the poisonous muffins and gives Kuroko a searching glance as if trying to figure out just what has been going on between him and Kagami, but Kuroko keeps his face carefully void of answers.

Instead, he and Aomine tentatively step into the living-room. Last time they had been here, Kise had been lounging on the couch, but this time it is already occupied by Murasakibara and Kagami's friend Himuro. Still, Kise is there as well, the center of attention as usual, re-telling some anecdote about Midorima's superstition. And Kagami, of course, is standing right beside him.

Luckily, Aomien decides to take the initiative and inserts himself into the conversation, successfully getting Kise's attention.

“Good evening,” Kuroko says much more quietly, stepping closer so that Kagami may hear him but creating an imaginary bubble that separates them from the rest of the party. There but not seen, just like Kuroko likes it.

“Thank you for your invitation,” he adds more emphatically, watching as Kagami finally drags his gaze away from where he had been watching Kise and Aomine interact.

“There more the merrier,” Kagami agrees easily, but there is a bit of an edge to it and he sends another quick glare at Aomine, obviously still dwelling on their altercation from last week.

But then he relaxes again, fully turning towards Kuroko. He lifts a finger and pokes Kuroko right in the chest, casual and thoughtless. Touches like this had been driving Kuroko crazy since the beginning of their friendship, but now – after weeks of tension between them – they are nothing but a blessing, and that single point of warmth on Kuroko's chest seems to grow, spreading through his body.

“Nice shirt,” Kagami say suddenly, a bit too loudly, pulling back his hand and clearing his throat, as if he had been burnt by that sudden heat that Kuroko surely must be exuding, “Where'd you-”

He's been leaning in, eyes dropping to the front of the shirt, when he abruptly cuts himself and then just doubles over.

For a split second Kuroko is worried, but he knows Kagami, knows that this is what he looks like when he is caught off guard by something funny and desperately trying to hold in his laughter. Kuroko smiles uncertainly, but he is painfully aware that something about him must have set Kagami off like that.

“Are you alright, Kagami-kun?” he asks, for once unable to keep the nervousness from creeping into his voice.

“Kuroko,” Kagami can barely breathe around the word, “Next time you buy a shirt with something written on it, make sure you know what it says.”

Before Kuroko can even glance down at his own chest in a feebly attempt to decipher the letters, Kise is suddenly there, putting a thoughtful finger to his lips.

“Let's see,” he hums, an amused crinkle around his eyes, “Chicken Asshole Gangbang Highway Rock 'n' Roll. - Yes, it definitely suits Kurokocchi's personality.”

Mortification and Kuroko has never understood that feeling of wanting the ground to swallow you up, but now he does. Because all around him everyone within earshot is laughing and snickering and nudging each other with elbows, pointing at his shirt. This is not what he had had in mind when trying out a new outfit to stick out more. This was nothing but humiliating and he can feel his cheeks burning in shame.

In front of him, Kagami's laugh has putter off and he straightens himself, giving Kuroko a contrite smile.

“Sorry,” he apologizes, “I shouldn't have pointed it out like that.”

Stupid, stupid Kagami who was like a bull in a China shop but who so often seemed to know when he had to tread carefully around Kuroko.

“It's quite alright,” Kuroko assures him, slowly unfurling his fists at his sides, “Better you than someone who might actually make fun of me.”

Kagami grins and claps Kuroko a slap on the shoulder, not exactly soft because he knows that Kuroko still isn't fragile.

“Come on,” he says, “Let's see whether we can't find you something more appropriate to wear. Otherwise I'll just keep laughing whenever I look at you. Maybe Alex has something your size.”

Kuroko can appreciate the sincerity of the offer, but he still cannot help the imagine of Alex-san in a tanktop and bootie shorts from popping into his head.

“I do not wish to wear women's clothing,” he informs Kagami primly.

“I figured,” Kagami snorts, “But she sometimes wears old band shirts and jerseys and stuff. Those should fit you just fine.”

Yes, that does indeed make more sense and Kuroko is close to agreeing. But then another thought strikes him.

“Please just give me one of your shirts, Kagami-kun,” he says, and he knows that anything Kagami owns would look ridiculously big on him but he is more focused on how it might feel.

Kagami jerks to a halt.

“O-okay,” he agrees easily enough but for some reason his face is red, “Just... let's have a look through my dresser and you can pick something out.”

Alone with Kagami. In Kagami's bedroom. Kuroko doesn't even stop to properly think about it before his feet are already carrying him out of the living-room and into the hallway, dimly aware of Kagami following after him.

“Um,” Kagami says when he has flicked on the light and closed the door behind them, already sliding open the door to the overflowing wardrobe, “I don't think I have anything your size. Maybe a flannel would work?”

“I trust your judgment,” Kuroko says plainly and starts shrugging out of his own offensive shirt, tossing it aside. When he looks up again, he just barely catches sight of Kagami's gaze jerking away, diving back into the wardrobe where he makes a dive for the neatly folded shirts.

“Put that on,” Kagami orders, tossing a flannel shirt into Kuroko's face.

“... Thank you,” Kuroko forces himself to say, contemplating the reason for Kagami's twitchyness.

“I should go back to the others,” Kagami announces, wringing his hands, “I'm the host after all, I should-”

The chance. This is the chance that Kuroko had been praying for, right there but about to slip through his fingers once more.

“Kagami-kun,” he says, the name leaving his lips without conscious thought, but it is enough to stop the other boy dead in his tracks.

“Yes?” Kagami asks, looking something between worried and hopeful, and Kuroko wonders at that.

No more hedging. No more hinting.

“Do you love Kise-kun?” he wants to know because this is what will make or break his decision.

Kagami's eyes widen.

“S-sorry?” he stutters out, shoulders drawing up.

“Do you love Kise-kun?” Kuroko reiterates, taking a step closer, trying to steel the wavering determination on his face.

“Because if you do,” he explains, his breath hitching, “If you do, I will back down. But... if there's only a little doubt in regards to your feelings for him... please reconsider and give me a chance instead.”

This is easily the most selfish thing Kuroko has ever done. Asking his best friend to just dump anther of his friend.

Kagami must been thinking the same, must be outraged at Kuroko's audacity, because his eyes are wide and disbelieving.

“Kuroko,” he says and cuts himself of with a gulp, obviously unable to come up with a fitting response to such a bold and brazen request.

“I really like Kagami-kun,” Kuroko says quietly, and his hands find their way up into Kagami's hair and if his mere touch were enough to pull Kagami down and into his embrace.

With a slump and a breathy noise Kagami is suddenly sitting down on the edge of the bed, blinking up at Kuroko.

“Uh,” he says, tilting his head back because for once Kuroko is taller than him and this, finally, is their chance.

Kuroko does not drag him closer by the hair but he does not ask for permission either. He leans in and presses his lips to Kagami's.

The angle is different from what he had expected when he had first started to imagine something like this happened. All of this is different from what he had expected.

Well. Almost. Because while for the first few moments Kagami sits still and stunned, his hands are suddenly on Kuroko's hips and he is kissing him back.

Kuroko gasps. Kissing mouth to mouth had been the height of his hope for this evening, for the rest fo eternity even, but Kagami parts their lips and licks into his mouth until Kuroko is only partially aware of his own body, until they exist in some sort of mosaic, small fragments creating a big whole, his hips pressed against Kagami's lower ribs, his knees knocking against the inside of Kagami's thighs, red strands of hair between his own pale fingers.

Eventually, he has to pull back, catch his breath and when he blinks his eyes open Kagami is doing the same, and they look at each other through half-lidded eyes before some invisible force is drawing them back together.

Yet in that moment, there is a loud voice, wood on wall, and when Kuroko jumps back in surprise he sees a dark shadow flying at Kagami instead.

It's Aomine with tight fists and a scowl on his face, but Kuroko can even open his mouth to stop him, he is already throwing a punch. It hits Kagami in the jaw, makes him jerk backwards with a small yelp.

“You fucking asshole!” Aomine rails, shaking with rage, “You've been with Kise for a week and then you're already cheating on him?”

“What the hell, Aomine-,” Kagami complains but then Aomine is already dashing out of the room again, leaving the door wide open in his wake as well as a sinking feeling in Kuroko's stomach.

“Kagami-kun,” Kuroko swallows around the lump in his throat, “Are you hurt.”

“Might need some ice,” Kagami grumbles, tenderly touching fingertips to his bruised jawline.

He's already getting up from the bed, making his way to the kitchen, and Kuroko follws him at a small distance, not knowing what to say or do.

“Do we have ice?” Kagami asks their sempai who are gathered around the buffet.

“Kise just went out to buy some,” Koganei-sempai replies, “And then Aomine ran after him. Seemed kinda upset. He must really like cocktails.

No, Aomine didn't like cocktails. He liked Kise. And Kise like Kagami. Whom Kuroko had kissed. This was like Teiko all over again, just that suddenly their rivalry was of a romantic nature.

Kagami, on the other hand, seems to be taking it all in stride.

“Figures,” he says with a shrug and goes to open the supply closet where Kuroko knows a first aid kit is stored.

“Uh,” Kagami draws up shorts, making Kuroko peer past him. There are their Coach and Hyuuga-sempai aggressively kissing each other, not a care in the world.

“Ah. Um. Sorry,” Kagami says anyway and quickly grabs the kit out of the shelf, slamming the door shut once more.

None of the other third-years seems overly surprised at what is happening in the closet.

“Did something happen, Kiyoshi-sempai asks instead, glancing between Kuroko and Kagami, apparently trying to figure out the connection between their previous radio silence and now the swelling one Kagami's face.

“Just a misunderstanding,” Kagami claims easily, though his fingers tap a nervous rhythm against the lid of the kit.

“Let's go back to my room,” he beckons Kuroko, “I think there's some stuff we need to talk about.”

“Yes, Kagami-kun,” Kuroko says, small-voiced, and ducks his head.

Back in the bedroom, Kagami swallows a pill of painkillers while Kuroko finds a tube with cooling salve.

“May I?” he asks, more hesitant than he has ever felt in Kagami's presence, grateful when the other boy just turns his face towards him in offering.

Kuroko licks his lips, searching for the right words.

“This is all my fault,” is what finally comes out, touching careful fingers to Kagami's hot and swollen skin.

There's a short pause.

“Is it?”

“I was the one who got between Kagami-kun and Kise-kun,” Kuroko elaborates what shouldn't need explaining because it _hurts_ , “And I pressured Aomine-kun into thinking he still had a chance with Kise-kun.”

“Oh,” Kagami huffs a little, sounding uncomfortable, “Uh. Yeah, uh, there's something I need to tell you.”

There is something oddly foreboding about those words.

“What do you mean?” Kuroko asks, frowning.

“Yeah, so,” Kagami clears his throat, once, twice, picks at the duvet before he continues, “Long story short, Kise and I never actually dated, we just wanted to make you jealous. Please don't hit me.”

He has not even finished speaking, but Kuroko's fist already draws back and then flies forward to punch him in the sternum.

“I said _don't_ -,” he insists but then interrupts himself. Kuroko isn't really listening anyway, to focused on keeping himself together.

“Idiot,” he forces out through clenched teeth, “Why would you do that? I thought- I thought Kagami-kun and Kise-kun-”

I thought you loved each other. I thought I had ruined our friendship. I thought I would have to watch you be happy together for the unforeseeable future while I was left behind.

“No no no,” Kagami is furiously waving his hands, “It's- I knew it was stupid but at that time I didn't know what else to do. I was-”

“No!” Kuroko takes a step back, shaking his head, “Do you have any idea- I had to decide between my friendship with Kise-kun and Kagami-kun, and abandoning it all for the the small chance that Kagami-kun would leave him to be with me! And I chose you! And now you're telling me it was a joke?”  
Does Kagami even understand the severity of that betrayal? Did it ever occur to him and Kise?

“Not a joke!” Kagami claims, looking frantic, “I just- this all totally backfired but – Kuroko, I like you. I'm in love with you, I-”

None of this whole story really makes sense to him, but those words sear through Kuroko's being, jolting him out of his confusion.

“Idiot!” he snaps and throws himself at Kagami, to hug him or pummel him with fists, he doesn't really know, but then he finds himself in a tight embrace and decides that it is definitely the better option.

So he takes long, calming breaths until he feels less like crying and railing, just breathing in the scent of Kagami's hair and skin and warmth.

“Hey,” Kagami finally interrupts the almost peaceful silence, “Can we go and see whether we have ice now? My jaw kinda hurts.”

“Of course,” Kuroko purses his lips, pushing away. A thought occurs to him. If the ice is there that means that Kise will be there as well. And that means that Kuroko ought to make his amends.

“And I... I think I need to apologize to Kise-kun.”

“Yeah,” Kagami nods, “I think that'd be good.”

They find Kise and Aomine in the kitchen, no tension left, no rage, but Kuroko busies himself with putting some of the crushed ice into a plastic bag and wrapping it in a kitchen towel, following at a sedate pace when Kagami waves them into his bedroom.

“So,” Kagami says, accepting the ice pack and gingerly pressing it to his jaw, looking between the three of them, “Who wants to go first?”

“Aominecchi and I are dating now!” Kise reveals with an excited cheer and Kuroko blinks.

Of course. If Kise and Kagami really hadn't been dating and if Aomine's jealousy had made him realize his own feelings, then it was probably only logical that he and Kise would have had a big moment of realization as well. Had that been Kise's plan from the beginning or was it just a pleasant side effect?

“What he said,” Aomine huffs as if the whole thing doesn't affect him, as if he hadn't just punched Kagami in the face to avenge Kise, and Kuroko has known him too long to be fooled by his aloof attitude.

“So are Kagami-kun and I,” Kuroko announces, puffing up his chest.

Aomine's brow furrows, “What the hell, Tetsu. This is not a competition.”

“You're right,” Kuroko concedes but cannot help but add, “But I it were, we would win.”

“Kurokocchi,” Kise whines, “I think we are here to talk, not fight.”

“Right,” Kagami cuts in, “So, um, does anyone have any questions?”

“Yeah,” Aomine raises a lazy hand as tough he were in school, “Are your folk loaded or something? This place is huge?”

Kise sighs and rolls his eyes, “Questions regarding the situation?”

They all consider that for a long moment and Kuroko realizes that this is his cue.

“Kise-kun. If possible, I would like to talk to you in private.”

Kise winces a little and Kuroko has to admit that he probably deserves such a reaction.

“Oh. Sure,” Kise agrees nevertheless and juts his chin forward, “I think Aominecchi has something to discuss with Kagamicchi as well.”

Look at them, being mature and responsible and talking about their feelings instead of swearing an oath to attend different school or, oh, coming up with an insane scheme to pretend to date in order to make other people jealous.

“So, um,” Kise has a twitchy hand on the doorhandle, “Shall we?”

“Lead the way,” Kuroko offers and they step into the hallway, leaving their new boyfriends to deal with them testosterone on their own. As soon as the door closes behind them, however, they become aware of the fact that something is slightly off.

The party which had been buzzing with life an hour ago when Kuroko and Kagami had left to get a new shirt seems to have dissolved. The music is still one, but there are no voices, no sound of glasses clinking together, no exuberant laughter.

“Where has everyone gone?” Kise asks in surprise, automatically stepping more lightly in the darkened hallway.

“I'm not sure,” Kuroko narrows his eyes, “Let's talk in the kitchen.”

There are indeed still people in the kitchen, but their sempai seem to be long since gone, buffet and drinking games abandoned. Instead, Takao is sitting up on the counter, blissfully making out with Midorima whose glasses are somewhat askew.

Ah. That might be the reason why no one's here anymore, and Kuroko faintily wonders whether Aida-sempai and Hyuuga-sempai are still hidden in the closet as well.

“Uh,” Kise says, squinting, as they back out of the kitchen, “Let's try the living-room.”

This room is just as desolate, half-empty bottles and paper plates standing around, but the reason is easily found.

Murasakibara is sitting on the couch, long arms wrapped around Himuro who is sitting in his lap, and their mouths-

“Bathroom?” Kuroko asks mildly and Kise shakes his head, his face quite pale.

“Even if Furihata-kun is no longer in there it probably still smells like puke.”

“The balcony then,” Kuroko decides because it is a nice night and he has always felt that this place was made for heartfelt conversations.

Yet when the glass door slides shut Kuroko finds himself bereft at words. So instead he takes a few minutes to just stare up at the night sky, Kise at his side, the moon and the stars shining overhead in harmony.

Kuroko clenches his fingers around the railing and lets out a breath.

“Kise-kun,” he begins, noting how the older boy stiffens beside him, but giving neither of them a chance to back out,“I wanted to apologize. For all the things I've said. And for the fact that all I wanted was to have Kagami-kun for myself, with little consideration for your feelings.”

Kise lets out an unsteady little laugh, but gives a vehement nod to make up for it.

“It's alright,” he claims, “After all, this was how I planned for it to go.”

“Still,” Kuroko insists, “I shouldn't want to date someone who would so thoughtlessly cheat on one of my best friends.”

“Kurokocchi,” Kise says and there are tears glistening in his eyes. And Kuroko has read shoujo manga that were less sparkly than this guy.

“May I give you a hug?” Kise asks now, hope in his voice, and Kuroko cannot keep his face from scrunching up.

“Okay,” he says and holds up a hand when Kise squees happily.

“But just a small one,” he hedges because Kise's hugs are lethal. He probably deserves one, though. Both of them do.

“Thank you, Kurokocchi,” Kise sighs when he puts him down again. It hadn't quite been as frightening as Kuroko had feared.

“I haven't done anything,” Kuroko points out.

“You kicked Aominecchi in the ass for me when I didn't dare to,” Kise reminds him, “So thank you.”

“Thank you for kicking mine,” Kuroko replies and, after a beat, “Shall we go make sure they are not kicking and killing each other?”

“Yes, that's a good idea,” Kise agrees readily and ushers him towards the door, “I don't want my boyfriend of an hour to end up in jail because of manslaughter.”

“... Kagami-kun could totally kill Aomine-kun if he wanted to,” Kuroko feels the need to point out.

“Oh my God, Kurokocchi,” Kise moans, “Kagamicchi is scared of puppies. He couldn't even harm a fly.”

“True enough,” Kuroko admits, “But if Aomine-kun killed Kagami-kun, then I'd kill him. And you.”

“Then everyone would be dead and you'd be in jail,” Kise sums it up, but does not object to the fact that Kuroko could quite easily commit murder. Kuroko finds himself strangely pleased at that.

“Are they still on the couch?” he then asks in morbid fascination and cranes his neck as Kise leads him through the low-lit living-room.

“Don't look, don't look,” Kise squeals and gives him another push.

“Nee, Kisechin,” Murasakibara's voice comes out of the dark, “Can you bring us some salsa sauce from the kitchen?”

“Sorry, Murasakibaracchi,” Kise replies in a strangled tone, “Everything in the kitchen has already been contaminated by Midorimacchi.”

A laugh like a bell chimes out at that.

“Kuroko,” Himuro says, a little breathless and a lot amused, “Tell Taiga this party was a blast!”

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I did it. Fucking finally. The coda for this will be out next week and then this story could need some serious editing. But! I finished it and that's something.   
> Did I write jealous and insecure Kuroko convincingly? Let me know what you think!
> 
> Btw, my notes for this chapter included "Kuroko apologizes to Kise while Aomine apologizes to Aomine"  
> Aomine: "The only one who can aologize to me is me!"


	5. Coda

When Furihata is finally done puking his guts out and contemplating how to sue Coach for attempted murder, he rummages through Kagami's bathroom cabinet until he finds some mouthwash and tries to drown the taste of vomit with peppermint.

After making sure there's no actual barf on himself, he washes his hands and his face and stares at his reflection in the mirror.

He looks pale and exhausted. This was the worst party of his life and he hasn't even touched the alcohol. Not that his parents are going to believe him.

When he steps out of the bathroom, everything is eerily quiet. The music is still running, but it's muted now, a sidenote instead of an underlying bass. The light is dimmed, too, and for a moment he stands in the half-dark, wondering where everyone went.

He can't have been puking that long, right? He would've died in that case. Or maybe he has really died and this is the afterlife. Maybe he's a ghost and instead of people being unable to see him, he's unable to see people.

Or maybe he's just puked out his brain as well.

Farther down the hallway, there is the sound of a door opening.

Vaguely, he recognizes Kise and Aomine stepping out.

“There's another spare room next to Alex's,” Kagami says, standing in the threshold. Kuroko is by his side, looking strangely ruffled and wearing a huge shirt that is half-unbuttoned.

“There should be a futon in the wardrobe,” Kagami adds.

“Just one?” Kise purrs, “Sounds perfect.”

Aomine lets out a low laugh and then finds the room that has been pointed out to them, pulling Kise with him.

“Finally,” Kuroko says with a quiet edge of impatience and then drags Kagami back into the dark, shutting the door behind them.

Weird, Furihata thinks and rubs his eyes as he wanders past the kitchen. Where apparently someone is making out on the counter.

So he continues on to the living room which is completely dark. There are strange noises, though, underneath the low music, and a huge shadow moving over the sofa, the silhouette barely illuminated by the streetlights flooding in from outside.

Furihata backs away again, standing stunned and confused in the hallway. His shoes are still there, he notes faintly. He should probably just go home.

In that moment, there is knock on the entrance door. Out of reflex and in hope of answers, he opens it.

“I apologize for being late,” Akashi Seijuuro greets politely as he steps over the threshold, “Have I missed anything of importance?”

Furihata thinks of Kuroko's ruffled appearance, his hold on Kagami, and of Kise and Aomine sharing a futon for the night. He cranes his neck to look back into the kitchen where, as he now realizes, Midorima and Takao are still sucking face. He strains his ears and listens for the worrisome noises that are coming out of the living room.

“Nah,” Furihata says and shakes his head, “Just don't touch the muffins.”

Akashi gives him a long look.

“Is that a euphemism?” he asks finally.

“Nah,” Furihata repeats and slips into his shoes, “Let's ditch this place. Wanna grab something at Maji Burger?”

“I've... never been,” Akashi admits and Furihata's eyes widen.

“Let me correct myself,” he says, “You _have_ missed something of importance. Namely their teriyaki burger. C'mon, I'll show you.”

“... Very well,” Akashi relents and surrenders himself to is fate.

The night is young after all and the stars are still bright.

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Just a silly little something to wrap it all up. And now I can finally cross this WIP off my list. Thanks for sticking with me, guys, even though it's been a long and bumpy ride. ^^'


End file.
